A Console Life
by Nicolas Crossworth
Summary: It just takes one bad day to turn the entire year into an unforgettable experience. Life in our Reality goes on at a normal pace, it's just this time, a number of girls who shouldn't exist are popping up one after the other.
1. Chapter 1: A bad day

_**This is the story of a boy and a girl... And a number of Divine entities...**_

* * *

Summer vacation was only a month away... on top of that it was raining. Definitely not a good sign. Within the main building of a certain school, the students were noisily chatting to one another as to what they had planned for this coming break. Seeing as the teachers were called for an impromptu meeting, most of the boys and girls of various cliques were having discussions of their own.

Some girls from the wealthy families thought that it would be a wonderful idea staying at a fancy resort for some fun and sun while the minority of the boys from the same group were talking about which basketball superstar was among the top scorers of the season. The book worms were obviously criticizing the latest teen novel while the student council president's fan boy club was drawing lots on who will be the one to go and meet with her in their name.

Of course, like any other class in the high school level, the noisiest of them were the delinquents and wannabee rebels, though this was considered normal by everyone having developed a way to ignore them entirely. Despite their notorious status with the teachers, they got along with the class pretty well. Some of the students think of them as freedom fighters in a sense. Anyhow, the rest of the students were more content in either idling with their cell phones and mp3s or simply engaging into casual talk.

Rain pitter pattered against the windows, creating a chaotic rhythm of noise over the class' chatter. Sleeping right beside it was a young man with unremarkable appearance. Like the rest of the male population of the class, he wore a plain white polo shirt and dark green pants with black shoes. Strands of black hair stood up his scalp as his uniform bore a few lines here and there, giving him an untidy look. His shoulders rose and fell as he slept peacefully. Almost peacefully.

"DOM, WAKE UP!"

A loud smack tore through the chatter yet the other students paid it no mind. The young man that got hit however sat in attention with a strangled yelp. He rubbed his sore shoulder before glaring daggers at another boy wearing a dark indigo hoodie over his uniform, a grin plastered on his face.

"Nick..." growled Dom, it was evident in his dull brown eyes that he was ready to grab the person in front of him and throw him out the window, "What the hell was that for?"

The jacket boy chuckled as he watched his classmate rotate a shoulder. Maybe he hit him a bit too hard? Nick shook the thoughts out of his head and said, "Grumpy as always, eh?"

"You should know why," mumbled the sleepy boy as he rested his head back on his arms, "Class doesn't start after thirty minutes, let me sleep, dammit..."

Just as he was about to go back to dream land, Nick started to shake his table, "Come on man! You got nothing to do, right?"

"Your point?" muttered Dom as his table rocked back and forth. That's when Nick pulled a yellow notebook out of nowhere and begged.

"I'm going to need your homework or else I'll fail!" wailed the jacket boy with a pathetic bow, "You gotta help me man! Math wasn't always my strong points. You're the resident underground genius; lend your power to the weak and for those who can't fend for themselves!"

"Geez, fine," Dom glared at the idiot beside him for a moment before uttering a defeated sigh. He reach within his backpack and smacked his classmate on the head with a thick math notebook. Nick's pathetic face turned into a grin as he took it.

"Thanks man!" he said gratefully as he made his way back on his seat.

The sleepy boy merely lowered his head back on his desk while mumbling darkly, "Lazy prick..."

He caught sight of the edge of his desk glowing bright, leading him to guess that it was just a flash of lightning. It's been raining for the past three days and a lot of rumours are starting to spread. High schoolers being the kids they are drawing up strange conclusions by connecting the storm with a weird phenomenon happening around town. With that thought in mind, the urge of sleeping through sixth period grew stronger by the second.

Dom closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

...

...

...

_Strange, _he thought as his consciousness returned, _ I close my eyes for five seconds and class starts..._

"Mister Dom, Mister Adrian Dom would you please stand up?" called a female voice. Dom cursed in his mind as he recognized his teacher's voice, "Having a good nap, I see?"

Brushing his uniform, Dom turned to look at a woman who was about reach her fifties glaring at him while tapping a long stick in hand. Not only that it seemed like the entire class was staring at him, it seemed like he was the only one sleeping at the time. He ignored the looks his classmates gave him and simply stood up, "Sorry ma'am, I was just resting my eyes you see."

He followed this with a smile though it was clear to everyone that it was fake. The teacher was too sharp to buy it yet decided to play along. With raised eyebrows she repeated what he said, "Resting your eyes, hm? Probably the oldest trick in the book. Well, can you enumerate to me the twelve Macro and Microelements as well giving us a brief summary on them? That is if you were really listening..."

_Ah, we're at that already?_ Thought Dom as he inhaled a lungful of air, "Fine... Elements that a plant needs in large amounts to live are known as macroelements. Most often, access to macroelements is not a problem, but some occur in only limited amounts in the soil. This consists of the following elements: Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sulfur, Magnesium, and Calcium. Microelements on the other hand are only needed in small amounts by plants unlike the Macro, though they are just as important. They are consisted of..."

Much to the surprise of many, Dom faltered. His mouth was stuck mid-sentence as a faint buzzing noise entered his ears. He looked around to see where it was coming from, yet the only thing he saw was that his classmates were looking at him like an idiot. It didn't look like they were hearing anything in particular. Blinking twice, he turned his attention towards the window.

Confused, his classmates turned to the direction where he was looking at yet his teacher had other ideas, "That's it. Young man, if you no longer know the answer then you may sit down."

Dom placed a hand on the window and narrowed his eyes. _Light...?_

"Mister Dom, I do not want to repeat myself, "chided the teacher in an angry tone.

_Bright... fast..._

"Dude, what are you looking at?" asked a classmate with a hint of concern, "Teach's getting pissed you know?"

"Young man—!"

_Shit, _Dom turned to his class and yelled, "EVERYONE ON THE FLOOR NOW!"

And then it all went to hell. The students barely had enough time to duck and cover as the window exploded in what looked like fire. Panic sprang out of nowhere and boys and girls alike stampeded out of the demolished room, the others too frightened to even move and settled to staying in a corner sobbing and shivering. Rain blew in along with the heavy wind. Glass shards and debris were scattered along the wrecked floor.

It was obvious that they saw what Dom saw.

Unfortunately, the guy himself wasn't so lucky. The moment the blast made itself known, he was thrown across the room and into the center among the piled up and abandoned chairs. With a pained groan, he blinked away dark spots at the edge of his vision and threw away the stone and glass that were on his uniform. The chair under him collapsed under his weight, causing him to fall on the floor. Hard. He landed on all floor as he shook the nausea out of his head.

This day was just getting better and better.

"D-Dizzy! Stop shaking me, you crazy wack!" cried a tiny voice within his pocket. He reached within and drew out his phone, closing an annoying application with a grimace. He knew he should've placed that thing on silent. He struggled for a bit as he fought to regain his balance before looking around his classroom. Deciding that nothing was broken in his person, he went towards his huddled classmates.

"It's not safe here, come on," he urged them while taking a random girl and boy by the arm, forcing them to stand up. They all filed into one organized line, crying or looking at the ground in shock at what just happened. Dom's head throbbed at the roar of the explosion and he had trouble hearing through his left ear. Looking back at his seat, he found a gray transformer poking its head in his classroom, electrical wires loose and sparking.

Not noticing his classmates walking out of the classroom, he decided to retrieve his backpack before exiting the room himself. Outside the hallway were a few of his classmates either talking to each other or calling someone over the phone. He heard someone say that the faculty had already called the fire fighters and ambulances. About time too.

There was a loud bang inside the classroom and everyone started screaming. Dom clutched his head as his vision began to blur, annoying headache. Students and teachers alike from the other sections all decided to head towards the gymnasium for evacuation.

"B-Blood!" cried a male student, "D-Dom! You're bleeding!"

A few people from his class came towards him and asked something incomprehensible. Blinking twice, he realized that he couldn't hear them. He then gestured towards his ear while shaking his head. Understanding his actions, the students said something to his teacher and lead him away. Dom looked down on his clothes and found out that his left arm was indeed bleeding. The sight of the red liquid trickling down his forearm made his already aching head much worst.

That's when he blacked out.

* * *

"Aw, damn," groaned Dom as he clutched his head. He opened his eyes to a bright fluorescent light bulb above him, illuminating the mint colored ceiling. At the edge of his vision he could make out the appearance of snow white curtains. The bed he was on felt comfortable and puffy, same goes for his pillow. That's when he realized he was tucked snugly under a light blue blanket.

Slowly rising out of bed, he pushed his blanket aside and sat down. He could hear voices just behind his curtains, probably the people who placed him there. Dom glanced down on his left arm and found out that it was wrapped tightly with a bandage. He grimaced as he examined it for a moment just as his curtains suddenly opened. A woman dressed in white blouse and pants came in carrying what looked like a clipboard, her harried look turning into surprise as she saw how Dom was getting up.

"Ah! What do you think you're doing?" she questioned as she placed a firm grip on the boy's shoulder and pushing him back on bed, "You're still hurt and you're in no condition to be walking around."

"I can see that," replied Dom as he got up again only to be pushed back into his pillows, "Look, I know I was wounded and stuff but I really need to get home."

"If you're going anywhere then at least let me call your parents," suggested the nurse as she pursed her lip, "Can I get your home number so they can pick you up."

Rising up for the final time, the student managed to pry the woman off him and sit down, "I live alone."

"I see…" the nurse gave him a thoughtful look before saying, "Then can I call anyone close to you then. Surely they'll be able to help."

"You got other patients to tend to, right?" said Dom with a sideward glance, "Thank you for patching me up. I assure you that I'll be all right."

"The nerve of the kids these days," muttered the lady as she placed her hands on her hips, "They get blown up by faulty transformers and they shrug it off like it was nothing! I say young people!"

A small smile appeared upon the boy's lips as he stood up and grabbed his polo shirt hanging at his bedside, "Thank you, and… you shouldn't be so surprised. This is Japan after all…"

"I guess I can agree with you on that," sighed the nurse as Dom grabbed his backpack. Remembering something, she handed him her clipboard to which he gave her an odd look, "Sign here. Wouldn't want you to go missing on us all. The last thing we need is more paper work."

It didn't take long for the boy to sign and say his goodbyes. He walked out of the white curtains and navigated his way through the school clinic. Unlike him, the others seemed fine externally, no wounds or cuts on their shoulders or faces, though the shock they experienced because of the explosion was too much to handle. Dom rubbed his bandaged arm and exited the clinic.

Walking through the deserted hallway, he glanced outside once in a while to check on the weather. It was still raining very hard and didn't look like it would let up soon. Seems like he was going have to run towards the bus stop to get home dry. He made a few turns here and there, passing by abandoned classrooms and descending down a flight of stairs before finally arriving at the school lobby. He found out that a number of vehicles and people gathered around the east wing of his school. Out of curiosity, he stole a glance at the commotion.

Fire. The building where his classroom was located was on fire.

"Well, there goes homework," he muttered in awe before shaking himself back into reality. At back of his mind, he felt relieved and sorry at the same time. As much as the school was going to suffer, the fire just earned him a hell lot of time at home. More time for gaming then.

Dismissing the orange sight, he ran out of his school and into the streets.

* * *

The boy came to a halt as he gasped for breath. He was at a bus stop about five blocks from his school; he could still see the smoke rising from the burning building. The bus was already gone. With an irritated sigh, he decided to head to a convenience store for a drink. He made sure to tap the water out of his shoes before entering the store, the last thing he needed now was to be yelled at.

"Nasty bandage you got there kid," commented the blonde clerk yet Dom ignored him and went straight for the vending machine.

Dropping his backpack on the ground, he searched for his wallet within for some money. Unfortunately, it seemed like he didn't have it. Cursing under his breath, he lifted his bag back on his shoulder and began making his way out of the store empty handed. That's until he caught sight of the news report on the television.

_On other news, just a few hours ago a large explosion occurred within the east wing building of the Saigyozi National High school. Reports say that the cause of said explosion was a malfunctioning electrical transformer which somehow fell directly into a classroom. As of now there have been reported fatalities while six are currently injured due to the blast._

"No one died, huh…" muttered Dom as he stared at the news report.

"Say… That uniform, you're from Saigyozi right?" the clerk noticed the student's clothes and immediately had a look of curiosity on his face, "Looks like you're on of 'em injured, huh? What are you doing walking around, kid? Parents not picking you up?"

"None of your business," growled the boy as he left the store, the television still droning on the next report.

…_. The Purple Phenomena. Sightings of bright purple light raining from the skies have been increasing…._

* * *

"CAN THIS DAY GET ANY WORSE?!"

The rain was pouring more violently than ever. The streets were reaching the point of being flooded ankle deep into the water. The boy collapsed within a roofed bench at the center of a park. It seemed like taking the detour through the park was a bad idea. Dom swore that someone, somewhere was laughing at his predicament or the universe just plain hated him. He was wet, wounded, and penniless. The storm was just above him and it would take more than three hours for it to finally subside.

He could wait three hours at the price of catching a cold.

"D-D-Dizzy! Stop shaking me you crazy wack!" yelped a tiny voice within his pocket. His eyebrow twitching, he fished his phone out of his pocket and stared at the white glare of his screen. With a series of quick taps, he closed the annoying application and placed the phone back in his pocket.

Dom stared at the park before him. The raindrops were so thick that he could barely see seven feet in front of him. The smell of wet grass filled his lungs, somehow soothing the stinging his wet bandage gave him. He bared in mind that this was just one of those days where his luck was down in the sewers. Yet he had no strength left to be optimistic. Day after day he went through the same dull routine of eat, sleep, study, game, and bath. To be suddenly wrenched out of that routine and thrown into a number of sorry situations was annoying.

A sigh escaped his lips as he lifted his legs and placed them at the empty space beside him. Humanity lived through war, famine, and natural disasters. Surely he won't let something like this get him down. With a shake of his head, he knew that even in his mind it sounded like crap. He checked his phone again and saw that there were no messages. Nothing new there.

His head throbbed slightly as he leaned against the wall of the roofed bench. Maybe a bit of sleep won't hurt, the rain would probably weaken by the time he woke up. It doesn't look like there was going to be anyone walking up to him with a samurai sword and an Oni mask before hacking him to bloody pieces. Dom shivered at the thought and drifted off to sleep.

…..

….

…

Dom's eyes slowly opened as he pushed himself from the wall. Judging from the light tapping up on the roof, the universe finally decided that the rain finally took a break. Tilting his head from left to right with an audible crack, the boy began to give his tired limbs a stretch. He blinked twice while releasing a sigh before placing his hands on either side of himself. That's when he felt a smooth and very wet surface at his left.

"Oh god no…" he groaned pathetically at the sight of his backpack wide open. Various text books and papers were scattered on the wet ground just beneath the bench. Now he was pissed, "I swear I'm going to kill whoever did this…"

Rising up from his seat, he bent down to retrieve his books and place them back in his bag. He decided to leave the test papers there since they were too soggy and wet to put in his pack. It wasn't like he was going to need them anyway. He then noticed a number papers making up a trail of some sort leading away from the bench. Now here was some food for thought, what kind of thief would leave a neatly place trail behind for the murderous victim to follow?

Dom grabbed his bag and broke into a run. He went behind the roofed bench and entered through the clump of bushes. He passed by a lot of his test results, haikus, and examination papers. There were some essays here and there yet he didn't care. All he wanted to do right now was to give the person who did this a piece of his mind.

He came to a halt in the middle of a clearing, the rain lightly pounding all over him yet he didn't care. Cursing internally, he found that he still couldn't see more than a few feet in front of him. It would've been bad now if he ran into a tree for being an idiot. Then again, maybe it was a bad idea running around like this. He was unarmed and injured on top of that. What if this was some kind of clever modus to get him all alone in the middle of the park?

_Screw it, _he mentally grumbled before shouting, "HEY, I KNOW YOU'RE IN HERE YOU BASTARD! COME OUT HERE AND LET ME REARRANGE YOU FACE!"

Whirling around at the slightest sound, he found nothing but a few trees and bushes. He turned to look at his left; he could identify the outline of the park pond a few meters ahead. Dom approached a random bush and kicked it aside. No one was there. At that moment he realized that the person who wrecked his bag was probably ways off. Time to head back it seemed.

_**Tap**_

_**Tap**_

_**Tap**_

Dom turned to the source of the noise yet found nothing once again. He swore he just heard footsteps.

"Anyone there?" he called, cautiously walking through the clearing. Narrowing his eyes, he focused his gaze at something… Bright…

Wiping the rain off his face with a wet sleeve, Dom slowly made his way towards the light, shoving aside a bush in the process, "Well, well, well… What do we have here..?"

The boy knelt down upon the drenched grass and picked up an otherworldly, fantastic, glowing….. Piece of paper.

"You have got to be kidding me…" deadpanned Dom while standing up and giving the paper a closer inspection. It was paper alright, glowing and stuff. It didn't seem to be affected by the rain or the mud. It felt… strange seeing it all dry despite being held by the boy's wet fingers, "Alright, I gotta admit this is freaky. What is this, some kind of clever marketing strategy?"

He was about to turn around to leave when all of a sudden, a person was blocking his path.

"Hi!"

"Oh shit!"

The boy fell backwards in panic, tossing the paper high in the air in the process. Dom could feel his heart pounding against his ears as adrenalin was being pumped into his blood. A ghost? No way, ghosts weren't real. Yet how… did this person sneak up to him just like that? Did the rain mask their footsteps? How was it possible for them to come up to him without him noticing?

He couldn't see the person's face, yet he could make out the vague outline of their body. Judging from the pose the person was making, it seemed like he scared them just as much they scared him. That was when the universe gave him a helping hand in seeing the person's face through a flash of lightning. A girl.

She and the boy stared into each other's eyes for a second… Two seconds… Three—

"KYAAAAAAAA!"

A sound of flesh colliding with flesh. Dom's eyes were seeing a blur of colours, red, green, blue, and orange, etc. Pain flooded his mind while his eyes watered from it. He could barely groan as he focused to rejecting the pain in his groin area. The pathetic idiot just got kicked in the nuts.

Pain exploded on his back side as he was kicked again, this time he found his voice, "What… the hell?!"

"Pervert! You stupid pervert idiot!" cried the girl while keeping her purple dress down.

"It's your fault for wearing such a short skirt!" hissed the boy as he clutched fought the urge to recite a prayer to ward away evil spirits. Not sure how that'll help though…

"D-D-Dizzy! Stop shaking me you crazy wack!" yelped the tiny voice in Dom's pocket. As much as he loved that application, he was going to have to make it shut up for once one of these days.

Dom rose to all fours as he shook the pain out of his head. He felt like throwing up yet decided against it. Too many bad things happened today and hurling in the middle of the park while being covered in mud would only be proclaiming the universe as the victor. He wouldn't allow that.

The girl seemed to have gone silent for a moment, almost leading the boy into thinking that she had run off. When he leveled his gaze before him, he found her placing a hand on her chest while tilting her head slightly to the right. She had a look of concern in her eyes.

"Um, you okay?" she asked as if not seeing his pained expression.

The boy could only snarl coldly at her before wincing in pain.

"Heh, sorry for kicking your crown jewels," she apologized sheepishly while scratching the back of her head, "It's still your fault for peeking under my skirt."

At that last sentence, Dom snapped. With an angry roar, he raised his hand to smack the idiot upside the head with all his might. He didn't care if it was a girl; the world was simply testing his patience. At least that was the idea, until he was suddenly shoved away by the girl's seemingly monstrous strength. Flying over the clearing, the boy landed flat on his back, staring into the gray skies above.

"It's on now…" he growled as he stood back up, the girl didn't seem to notice as she was busy staring in awe at her hands.

"Whoa… I'M A HULK!" she cheered just as Dom charged at her at full speed. With a bright smile, she side stepped him and tripped his right foot, causing him to land on the grass hard.

"I'm… going… to kill you," he muttered darkly as he rose up to his feet once more, the girl had a nervous smile on her face as she waved her hands in front of her.

"Now, now, you don't have to say that with a serious look," she chuckled pathetically, "People might get the wrong idea!"

Ignoring the stinging in his left arm, Dom placed his feet firmly on the ground before dashing forward. He raised his right hand and threw his fist. Only to have it hit a very thick tree trunk. Pain exploded in his hand as he clutched it.

_Did she just front flip over me? _ He thought in disbelief just as something grabbed his shirt from behind.

"Ah, ah, ah," giggled the girl just before she pulled hard and sent the boy flying once more. Dom landed on the ground once more, maybe charging recklessly was becoming a bad strategy? He still wondered how she was doing that. He then decided for a different approach.

"Just… who the… hell are you?" he asked between breaths, apparently getting tossed around took a lot from him, "What are you a monster? Mutant? Alien of some sort? Please don't tell me you're a magical girl because I will really tear your head off… Are you... bionic?"

"What's that about pretzels?" questioned the girl with a clueless look.

"Who. Are. You?" repeated Dom, giving emphasis to each word he said. He clenched his fist which was trembling in frustration. He had enough shit for one day.

The girl crossed her arms while sporting a smug look on her face. It didn't help when lightning flashed across the sky, this just made the girl even more dramatic, "Sheesh, can't you tell? The name's Neptune the Beautiful and Gorgeous! CPU of the Landmass Planeptune the most beautiful Goddess in Gamindustri! Nice to meet'cha!"

* * *

_Nicolas Notes: hello there dear reader, the name's Nicolas and I hope you're enjoying yourself so far. I'm new to this fandom so I have no idea what I'm doing at the moment. Anyway, if there are any inconsistencies, or mistakes, they're solely my own. maybe i should hire a Beta that's an expert in Neptunia... I got a lot of stories already but this one has been chipping at my head for awhile now, please enjoy it to your heart's content._

_If there are any additional information I've missed or overlooked, feel free to tell me at the review's section. Constructive criticism is welcomed and complaints will be entertained given that they are polite._

_Right now, I'm currently lacking in information regarding the Neptunia girls. the wiki isn't really helping much other than giving me general info. But despite that I'll try my best. I hope I don't abandon this story XD. nope, nope I ain't._

_Welcome to the Console Life._


	2. Chapter 2: The Boy

There's one of those days where bad shit just happens and all of a sudden the Kool-aid guy breaks down someone's wall? That was what Dom was thinking at the moment. His mind felt like it was filled with white noise, similar to that of a television losing its cable. He stared at the girl before him with a dumb look, mouth open and a blank stare. He would blink once in a while yet that's that. The sheer absurdity of her claim was bordering between madness and ridiculousness.

And then he laughed. Arcing his back while clutching his sides as he guffawed in an almost hysterical fashion

"Ha ha ha ha, alright, he he he, fine you got me," he chuckled while holding his aching ribs. Neptune tilted her head in confusion, wondering if the guy just lost his marbles.

"What's so funny?" she asked in an offended tone complete with pout.

"This, he he, is just a sick practical joke, right?" guessed Dom as he snickered, "So, who put you up to this? The guys at school? Good attempt, cute at best, but seriously this is just taking it too far. Where's the cameras?"

"Hmph, no one put me up to this! I was wondering if you can help me!" protested the purple headed girl while angrily stomping her foot on the ground, "It's so cold and wet and you were the first person I've seen so far! I really need your help here!"

"Nice try kid," chuckled Dom as he turned to leave, "Why don't you run along and go back to your parents. They must be worried sick you know? This isn't the time trying out your new cosplay just to prank people."

"Wait up, buster!" said Neptune as she grabbed Dom by his backpack, "You can't just leave me here! Besides, what's your problem? Cosplay? I'm not cosplaying anyone here, these are my normal clothes!"

This caused the boy to turn his attention to her, much to his chagrin, "Drop the act, kid. It's not funny anymore. Any otaku could recognize a Neptune cosplay if they saw one. Stop wasting my time already and go away."

"But I'm not cosplaying!" argued the purple head with an angry tug on his backpack.

"You really expect me to believe you're a videogame character that's come to life? Try again kid, and next time, make it convincing," growled Dom as he struggled to move forward, _She has a stronger grip than I thought…_

He felt her hand release his pack mid struggle, causing him to lose balance and fall face first into the mud. He got up hastily while brushing his mud soaked uniform before glancing at the purple head's face. He gave her points for that genuine surprised look, yet it will take her more than that to convince him.

"I'm… A video game character? Whoa, holy moly Histy's panties…" Neptune stumbled a bit while stepping back, thankfully she didn't fall.

"Now where did I see this reaction before…" muttered Dom while crossing his arms. He then approached the girl and flicked her on the forehead.

"Hey!"

"Go. Home…. Now," he growled menacingly, only to receive a pout in return.

"I can't!" said Neptune.

"Why not?!" asked the boy in frustration, "Look, I don't have time for games. I need to get home since my arm is killing me. Good day to you, kid."

He was about to turn and leave when he was stopped once again, this time by a hand on his forearm, "What now?"

"Y-You can't just leave me here!" she cried with a nervous look, her eyes darting around with suspicion.

"Why not?" repeated Dom through gritted teeth.

"Well… T-There might be some weird people lurking around," answered the purple head with trembling shoulders.

"So?" said the boy as cold as he can be, "See here, I don't want to get involve with anything you have in mind. For all I know this could be a scam."

"So you're just going to leave me here so that the dirty old men could have their way with me?" asked Neptune with a disturbing conclusion if she were left behind.

This caught the boy off guard and almost did a double take, "Santa's socks… What kind of imagination do you have to say that?!"

"W-Well… I was touring Vert's home for a while when I went to the bathroom and—"

"Stop, please for the love of god, stop…" requested Dom as he pinched the bridge of his nose, "Damn it… The least I could do is to bring you to the police. Maybe your parents will find you there if they recognize you."

"Police? What's that?" asked Neptune with wide eyes, she had this purple sparkle within her eyes, "Can you eat them? Do they serve cookies?"

"You're really going to act this out aren't you?" huffed the boy before moaning in defeat, "Hey universe, why me?"

Neptune gave him a weird look once he began talking to the sky, "Eh? W-What's wrong? You hit your head or something?"

"Fine… follow me," said Dom as he shook off the girl's loose grip.

"To where? You sure you're not going to lead me to weird places?" she questioned suspiciously with narrow eyes.

At this point, the boy no longer cared, "Nowhere as weird as my place. I'm going home; you follow and don't make eye contact with anyone…"

He then started to walk and disappear behind a group of trees, leaving Neptune behind to gaze at his back in surprise. She then noticed something under her foot; it was a piece of glowing paper. It looked somewhat familiar to her.

"You coming or not?" called a voice through the rain. Not daring to waste any more time, she then picked the paper up and ran ahead.

* * *

After nearly half an hour of walking through the rain, the two finally arrived at an apartment complex. Dom stomped through the glass entrance, scattering mud, water, and dirt in the process. Neptune, who was just as dripping wet as the boy before her, entered a bit more timidly while taking her time in looking around at the fancy lobby. She noticed her guide walking a bit too far for her comfort, causing her to run after him as he came to a halt at the receptionist's counter.

A large rectangular mirror within a golden frame hung on the wall just behind the counter while a flower vase sat on top of it. The dark marble surface of the counter complimented well with the canary yellow walls. There was a violin solo playing in the background of the lobby. The only times Neptune ever encountered a fancy place like this were those instances where she stayed at Celestia. True that this place seemed out of a poor man's league yet it was still nothing compared to her old home.

After a few seconds, a woman clad in a green dress like uniform arrived. She had her coffee brown hair tied in a bun while her eyes sparkled with what seemed like a mischievous light. The smile she wore faltered for a moment as she saw Dom's current state before forcing it back again.

"Ah, Mister Adrian, back from school I see," she greeted cheerfully as if she had said this a thousand times yet never got tired of it. Now that's enthusiasm, "How may I help you?"

"Room keys, now…" replied the boy in a cold manner, keeping his eyes fixed on his shoes. When he noticed the receptionist not moving, he glanced at her face which seemed to be focused on the person behind him. Quickly adding before any questions came up, "Cousin Cosplaying. Don't ask."

The receptionist jumped out of her trance and bowed sheepishly, "Ah, pardon me. She just seemed cute is all. Here are your keys. Have a good evening."

Dom took his keys without another word and started walking towards the elevator. The purple headed girl quickly took note and followed him. A ring and the silver doors opened, cue for them to enter. The boy and girl stepped inside, the former pressing his floor number.

"Nice place you got here," commented Neptune as she tapped her foot to the elevator music, "You didn't look like the rich type. You really surprised me."

"Now you know why I'm reluctant on taking you with me," said Dom as he rubbed his forehead. He glanced up as he heard a ring, followed by the doors opening. Walking out of the elevator, he began retracing his everyday steps back to his room, another set of feet following him from behind, "I'm cautious since I'm what you call a rich bastard…"

"You don't seem like one," Neptune pouted as she said this, examining the boy's face.

"Don't patronize me…" growled the boy as he came to a halt before a door. Room number 96, "Home sweet home."

The purple headed girl's jaw almost dropped at the sight of her guide's room. It was simple enough, white walls and warm fluorescent lightings, a gray carpeted floor, blue curtains at the windows and a sofa. There was a black glass dining table capable of seating about six people while something that looked like a kotatsu sat in front of the sofa. However it was not he sheer simplicity of the room that took her breath away, it was the number of games, manga, anime posters and calendars, figurines and nendroids which were all lined neatly together.

The number wasn't really one would exaggerate about. Maybe twenty or so figurines were on display at a shelf which housed eighty or more manga and doujinshi published by a few well known and not so well known authors and mangakas. But it didn't stop there. At the opposite side of the sofa was large, elegant black LCD screen TV with countless numbers of games stacked beneath it, three consoles taking up the space before it.

Walking inside the room in a daze, Neptune gazed at the consoles with wide eyes and shaky knees, "They're beautiful…"

A towel hit her on the head, forcing her to pout at Dom's direction.

"I'm going to take a shower and change as fast as I can," he explained while crossing his arm on his chest, "If you're hungry, there's some food at the fridge. Frozen pizza, cup noodles, left over Chinese take away, it's your pick. Just don't touch or make anything explode before I get back, okay? Make sure you dry yourself or else you'll catch a cold. There's also no use robbing me, the girl below knows your face, just watch out."

"Hey, who do you think I am?" huffed the purple head while placing her hands on her hips, "The consoles we made back home were waaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than these hunka junkas."

"Whatever," deadpanned Dom as he entered his room without further ado.

Once he was gone, Neptune stood on the same spot for three seconds… Four… She then sprang into action by diving towards the games hidden beneath the flat screen TV. Taking them out one by one, she merely glanced from one game to another. Shooters, Fighting, Sports, Racing, Platform, Dance, Aircraft Simulator, and RPGs, this guy had one of every flavour of games she could think of. While looking through game after game, she finally settled herself at the sofa with a sigh.

So she was in a different world again. This time, instead of the bright sunny sky and falling on top of a person she was familiar with she was in a completely strange world. The sky was gray, almost like Lastation and it was raining on top of that. The first person she met was a surly, violent, yet soft hearted guy who lived in a fancy place filled with games. It's not like dimension hopping was something was she could get used to, but if this went on and on and on then she'll eventually get bored.

She stood up and walked towards the window, looking outside the rainy city. Tall buildings stood while being surrounded by smaller establishments, alleyways and streets snaking along the landscape. Vehicles of various sizes were making their way through the traffic while the small yet distinct figures of people went about under umbrellas.

A gray world. There was nothing fun here at all.

Turning her attention back to the living room, she went straight for the three consoles on the floor. One was a jet black machine with an elegant silver design on its sides right next to a bulky white green machine. The two had different controllers; the former had a black one with shapes for buttons and the usual D-pad buttons while the latter had letters. They were identical, yet she knew they were completely different. She glanced at the console at the far left, a white blue one.

Instead of having a normal controller, it had a remote like device sitting on top of it. The purple headed girl thought back on the boy's words not to touch anything and quickly decided against poking it. A small smile appeared upon her face as these three machines somehow reminded her of friends.

"Huh?" she blinked twice as she noticed an ominous purple light glowing within her dress pocket. Out of curiosity, she reached within and took out a piece of paper. Yes, it was the same paper she picked up a while ago. A wave of familiarity washed over her yet she couldn't place the feeling.

A sound of a door opening sent her into panic, making her hastily stuff the paper back into her pocket and turning to the source of the noise. She watched Dom exit his room while wearing fresh new clothes. Unlike his dirtied outfit earlier, he now wore a bright yellow shirt over a black long sleeve undershirt and pants. His feet were covered in gray socks seeing as he was in his own house. The bandages on his arm earlier were no longer visible.

He stopped and stared at Neptune for a second as if to wonder what she was doing there before dismissing the thought and walking towards the fridge. Taking out a fresh bottle of milk and pineapple juice, he sat down on the sofa while keeping his eyes fixed on the purple headed girl. Neptune merely stared back.

"So… You have no intention on calling your parents, huh?" he said while downing the milk with two gulps, placing it down at the kotatsu.

The Goddess scowled at him and crossed her arms, "How many times will I tell you, I don't have parents! Seriously what is your problem? You act like you don't believe that I'm a CPU!"

"Because you're not a CPU," stated Dom with half closed eyes, "You're pre-teen child that thinks she's some kind of videogame character. How hard did your mom and dad hit your head to make you short circuit like this? Did they brainwash you or something? First you go raving around how you're supposed to be a Divine Entity while wearing a ridiculous cosplay? What next, aliens being good friends with the pope? The president's actually an American pop star in disguise?"

"Uuu, why won't you believe me! I'm telling the truth! Stop acting so weird!" cried Neptune while flailing her arms.

"You're the one who's weird!" argued the boy with a scowl, "You expect me to believe that's your natural hair and eye colour?"

Without warning, he stood up and tugged a strand of the girl's hair.

"Hey hey hey, hands off the merchandise!" Neptune tried to slap Dom's hand away to no avail, it was only when he managed to yank three strands was she released rubbing her scalp, "That hurt you know, you big bully!"

"You seriously think you can convince me with dyed hair, huh? Just what is the deal and you won't admit you're something you're not!" sighed the boy while holding up the girl's hair, "You do know that these kind of actions and stupid ideas could get you into deep trouble, right? So why do it anyway?"

"Geez! Just what can I do to convince you that I am a CPU!" said the purple head while glaring at him, "And for the last time, I'm not cosplaying anyone! I'm Neptune! The one and only!"

Dom decided to give her a false smile before kneeling down beside her, looking through his various games before taking on case out and tossing it for Neptune to catch, "Hyperdimension Neptunia."

He took out another case and shoved it on her, "Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2."

The girl held the cases with clumsy hands and almost dropped them just as a third case was handed to her with Dom saying, "Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory. Now here's a wild guess unto what brought you here. You were walking around your home, thinking about food as usual while avoiding Histoire so that she doesn't gripe about you not doing your job. When SUDDENLY, a bigass purple portal swallows you whole and landed you here. Anything I got wrong?"

She gazed at the disc cases within her hands with wide eyes. So this was what he was blabbering about, a videogame. She stared at it with a blank expression for one second… Two seconds… "HOLY CRAP, HOW DID YOU KNOW?! ARE YOU A MIND READER?!"

Dom slapped his palm across his face, "Typical…"

"So…" began the boy as he stood up and stretched, walking towards his shelf of figurines and grabbing a tiny nendroid Neptune, examining it within his fingers, "You out of your delusion yet, or do I have to waste another hour of my life explaining to you that what you're doing is annoying and dangerous."

Neptune opened and close her mouth like a goldfish before hanging her arms limply on either side of her. Her shoulders seemed to be trembling for some reason; maybe Dom was a bit too harsh on her? Couldn't be since she didn't look like the type to cry over something like that. Or maybe it's just another fancy acting of hers. Either way, he released a sigh as he approached the telephone to call the police.

That's when the girl decided to speak up.

"I'll prove to you that I am a CPU."

"Eh?" Dom turned around to see Neptune looking at him with determined eyes. A smirk spread across his lips as she said that, she was a stubborn was, "Fine do your worst then oh Lady _Purple Heart._"

With that, the purple headed girl pulled a disc out of her back, that was enough to make the boy's smirk disappear off his face.

"Where did you get that?" he asked suspiciously with a frown.

"Hammerspace," replied the girl with a teasing wink, "I don't wanna but I guess I gotta!"

The boy gulped as he swallowed hard. This couldn't be possible, couldn't it? It must be a trick of some sort, there's probably a clever compartment at the back of her dress and that glowing light from the disc was nothing more than a cheap toy bought from somewhere. He stared at the girl as the air began to hum with an ominous energy.

At least that was how Neptune expected it to happen. Instead, she fell flat on the floor hard as she was about to go in her transformation pose. Dom's smirk never left its place as he crouched down to pat her head.

"There, there, all you need to do is get a good night's sleep," he cooed mockingly while holding back his amusement, "Who knows? Maybe in your dreams you'll be the person you'll want to be?"

Trembling slightly, Neptune looked at him with tear filled eyes and trembling lips. This actually caused the boy to back up a bit, only to regain his composure, "No, I'm not letting that work so stop it."

He left the girl hanging her head as she stared on the ground while he picked up his phone and dialled a number. Waiting for the line to pick up, he turned around once more to look at the girl, just to give the authorities the necessary description. She was still there, shoulders shaking while staring at the ground. Was she really that upset since she couldn't transform? Kids these days…

"Good evening, Tokyo Police Department," greeted a male voice over the line.

Dom never got to say a word. Something….exploded and knocked him into his kitchen. There were figurines and decorations flying everywhere, falling into the ground, clattering as they went. He looked around in panic, making sure nothing was broken. With a sigh, he was thankful that nothing was destroyed, yet his relief was short lived as he noticed a person approaching him. The boy suddenly found it hard to breathe as his blood turned cold.

"Please tell me you're joking," he groaned while shaking his head. His entire living room was covered in bright purple light, spreading across his wall and ceiling similar to spilt water.

A young woman with deep purple hair and bright blue eyes offered him a hand. Wordlessly, he reluctantly took it as he was helped up. He noticed that the girl was an inch taller than him and wore a black skin tight suit with purple segments, a design which he would have found indecent at normal circumstances. However, he was currently engaged into something that wasn't considered normal.

She gave him a bored look complete with a raised eyebrow as if calculating his reaction. A few moments passed and a small smile appeared upon her lips. Dom wasn't anywhere near happy. He quashed the thought of his apartment room being demolished by a freak explosion and focused on gathering what little sanity he had left.

"This…" he finally found his voice, yet it only came out as a shocked whisper, "This is not possible…"

"I can assure you that it is," replied Purple Heart with a smug expression, "Well, do you believe me now or not?"

"You're...not real," said Dom while slowly backing up on his wall, "This… this is just a dream, yeah. I'm, still asleep at the bench, apparently shivering from the cold which is causing to see this vivid hallucination of a dream. Yeah, that's it. This is logically impossible and out of bounds of the realm of this reality therefore concluding that something is raping reality if it were real but it's not. A dream, this is a dream, yeah. If not, I must be going mad. I knew I shouldn't have locked myself here all the time…"

The Goddess frowned at his incoherent babbling and said, "Aren't you the rude one? Were you not listening to my explanation for the past hour since we left that clearing? I am Planeptune's CPU, I am from Gamindustri, and _they_ are very much real. I shall even let you feel them if you would like."

She then crossed her arms under modest chest with a smirk on her face. Dom merely stared at her with narrowed eyes until he commanded, "Hit me."

"Excuse me?" asked the CPU in disbelief.

"I said hit me with all you've got. Right on the jaw," he tapped his left cheek as he braced himself.

"But if I were to do that, your neck won't be able to take the strain and will send your head flying to Histoire knows where," replied Purple Heart with a hint of concern.

"Exactly, if I'm killed in my dream, I'll wake up. That's how they did it in the movies!" the boy explained with a mad glimmer in his eyes, "Come on… with all your strength."

"No," Purple Heart flicked him on the forehead, giving him the same sensation as being punched by a professional boxer. Dom crumpled to the ground.

"Aw damn it that hurt!" he snapped as he rubbed his forehead. He looked up and saw the Goddess looking down him with her blue eyes, "You're still here…"

"Why don't sit down," she suggested while gesturing to the sofa.

"I'm the one who's supposed to be saying that!" hissed the boy, yet complied anyway. He collapsed on his sofa as he buried his face on his hands, "Fuck you universe… fuck you..."

The Goddess placed a hand on her lip as she fought back a giggle. This didn't go unnoticed for Dom shot her with a glare, causing her to stare at someplace else. Once she figured it was safe, she turned her gaze back at him as he mentally coped with the recent developments. Was it really that shocking for him to break down like this?

"Damn it… this isn't supposed to be possible…" muttered Dom in a hopeless tone.

"Um…"

"What ?"

Jumping at his cold voice, the CPU sent him a frown as she said, "Is... this really too much for you?"

He stared at her for a few moments before releasing a tired sigh, "Look… I'm just gathering my wits because if I don't, I'm throwing myself out of the window. There's still the theory that you're an eldritch abomination screwing around with my head, but I suppose you're right… Damn…"

"I see," sighed the CPU, walking towards him and settling herself on the sofa, "But… you are convinced now, right?"

"Would you please stay away from me for now," said Dom in a cold manner to which Purple Heart placed herself at the other end of the sofa, "Now regarding your question, then yes. I'm very much convinced. Good job there… You just proved everything I've been taught in life to be wrong."

Purple Heart blinked not identifying the sarcasm, "So you'll help me now, right?"

"What?"

"You'll help return to the world I came from, you do realize that I have no intention of staying in this realm for long?" she said this while giving the boy a hard look.

"What makes you think I'll do that?" he asked before hitting his palm on his forehead, "God…the guys at the forum will never believe this… of all people, why me?"

Growing tired of her host being in denial for the past ten minutes, the Goddess decided to tap him on his shoulder for attention, "It's because you're the chosen one."

"Don't give me that crap," snapped Dom, "It's not funny…"

"Then may I know your name?" asked the blinking CPU, tilting her head slightly in curiosity.

"Luke Skywalker," lied Dom through gritted teeth.

"That's… An odd name," commented Purple Heart with a nervous smile.

"Tell me about it…" muttered the boy just as the girl beside him suddenly glowed with purple light. Once the glare died, he set down his arms as the form of the cool and mature young woman was replaced by a little girl in a purple dress, apparently surprised at her transformation.

"Aw crackers, and I was getting comfortable too!" she complained, leaving Dom in a state of shock. He double checked his brain just to see it was still functioning properly. All this light and nonsense was giving him a bad headache and Neptune's whining wasn't helping one bit. He had to do something and fast.

Dom stood up and went towards the side of his wooden shelf, pulling out a yellow umbrella from one of its cabinets. This confused Neptune which led her to asking, "What are you gonna do with that, Luke?"

_She actually bought the lie,_ he thought while saying out loud, "We're leaving."

"Huh?"

"We're eating out," he replied while tossing her the umbrella, "Now hurry if you want free food."

Dom walked towards the door and opened it for the girl to exit. Once they were out, he shut the door and locked it just before they made their way toward the elevator. When they reached the ground floor, he tossed his keys at the receptionist who bid them to have fun. The boy continued walking while Neptune waved good bye. And so they set out into the rainy night.

* * *

_Nicolas Notes: Enjoying yourself? Well, I'm glad that some of you are. If there's anything you can help me with, I'll really appreciate them. Now regarding this chapter, I must say that Dom's a jerk. And yes, he'll be a jerk throughout the day, though that doesn't mean he'll get away with it. In this chapter, we'll get to know him mroe through Neptune's eyes._

_Now speaking of the Goddess herself, I feel that her current personality is a bit forced. I don't know why, but I did my research and homework. It'll probably take longer than I expect to capture her. _

_Also, you'll probably seeing references from this chapter onwards. It's going to be a habit... Anyway, thanks for reading. This is all I can do for now. I'll be seeing you __next chapter. _

_Yahoo~_


	3. Chapter 3: The Girl

Elsewhere at the rainy streets of a quaint urban subdivision, a girl was cheerfully humming to herself within her cozy two floored home. Footsteps thumped as she went from one place to another, her hands covered in large powder blue cooking mittens as she held a tray of dough. Placing the tray down for a while, she grabbed a pair of chopsticks and tied her lush brown hair into a tight bun before turning on the oven. Opening the machine, she placed her metal tray within with a happy smile before closing it.

She stood up and approached her kitchen counter where her coffee maker was working its magic, a green mug with a rainbow design sitting right next to it. She leaned against the counter her looked around her surroundings. Everything was spotless, organized, pleasing to the eyes, the girl giggled to herself at her handy work.

Pushing herself off the counter, she made her way towards her living room. Grabbing the remote from a glass desk, she turned on her television just to see what was on. Collapsing upon her sofa, she released a satisfied sigh as the smell of her muffins baking filled her home. She paid little attention to the current news report as her mind drifted off into imagining what her next creation would taste like, yet one particular report wrenched her back into reality.

With curious eyes, she turned up the volume a bit so that she would be able to hear the anchor more clearly.

"Fire…" she whispered as the report went on, "Saigyozi… East Wing…"

Wordlessly, the girl stood up and approached her blue cell phone which sat on her dinner table. If there was a fire at the east wing, then surely _he_ would've been caught in it. That person knew that if something were to happen, he would call her immediately. She cursed internally as she remembered the stupid oath she had with that guy's parents. So much for that. If they ever knew something were to happen to him, they will cut her allowance and leave her homeless.

"Pick up, pick up, pick up," she hissed as she called in her phone.

"Number you have dialed is either unattended or out of coverage area, please try again later," replied a cool female voice before the line when static.

A scowl appeared upon the girl's visage as she pressed her cell phone's buttons for another call. That's when her doorbell decided to ring. Confused as to who would be knocking at this hour in the middle of the current weather, she set down her phone on the table and strode towards the her front door. Undoing the lock, she opened it only to be greeted with the sight of her best friend soaking wet.

"Dom?" she asked in disbelief, her eyes wide, "What are you—"

"Hey Dia," greeted the boy as he poked his head in her house, "you got some spare rooms, right?"

"Um, yes, did your landlord kick you out?" said Dia with a perplexed expression, "Wait, why are you even asking about spare rooms? Shouldn't you be in your—"

"Wonderful!" exclaimed Dom, purposely ignoring his friend's statement, "Wait right here."

At his strange orders, the girl was left blinking in surprise at what just transpired. Before she could even form a coherent thought regarding Dom's arrival, the boy himself reappeared though this time with someone else in tow. With his hands clamped firmly on her shoulders as he steered her into the light, the moment Neptune saw a new person come near her vision, she instinctively raised her hand and wore a bright smile.

"Hi!" greeted the CPU in a cheery manner.

Shocked, Dia's jaw fell open as she gazed upon the girl within Dom's hands, "Wa-wait, wh-who's this supposed to be?"

"She's your problem now," replied Dom before shoving the CPU forward with all his might, launching her towards his best friend who caught her. In the midst of the confusion, the boy turned tail and ran into the night, not looking back shouting what seemed to be, "I'M FREE!"

"Hey, come back here you bastard!" screamed Dia as she ran out into the rain, only to come to a halt a few feet away from her house, gazing at her best friend's retreating figure, "WHAT THE HELL, DOM?! WHAT THE HELL?! You better not show your face around here if you want to live!"

Once she made sure he won't return, she slumped her shoulders as she was about to head back in. She froze in her tracks as she noticed the girl Dom just left staring into the direction in which he had ran off. Slapping a palm on her head, Dia put on her best smile as she approached the purple headed girl.

"Now, I have a few questions in needed to ask you, though I think it would be better if we got you dried up, sounds good?"

* * *

Dia placed her steaming mug of coffee on the table as she observed the girl before her. The girl, Neptune she called herself, was now dressed in her old yellow pajamas seeing how her purple dress was wet and dirtied by mud and rain. Now, there are a few things she noticed about this girl as she gave her a bath. Her hair seemed natural since it had the right texture and smoothness; it didn't look like she wore contacts since her eyes seemed normal save for the purple color.

It sure was amazing how everything seemed… normal. It was all real, nothing was fake. Yet Dia never met or heard of anyone having natural purple hair and eyes, excluding anime and cosplay. Just where did Dom find this girl, and why did he leave her here? That was the question floating around her head as she busied herself pretending to act like nothing was wrong. Somehow, even if Neptune seemed harmless, something about her unnerved Dia.

She watched as the girl sipped the purple coffee mug before releasing a satisfied sigh, "Wow! That sure was yummy! Hey lady, what's this thing called?"

Blinking in confusion, Dia forced out a nervous smile as she replied, "it's called coffee. Haven't you tasted one before?"

"Nope, never heard of it," said Neptune as she sipped her mug again, "You're much nicer than Luke was. He sure was weird and crazy if you ask me."

"Um, excuse me, but who's Luke?" asked the brown haired girl with a smile.

"Oh? That guy who just left. Luke Skywalker was name! Pretty weird, huh?" answered the purple headed girl as she swung her legs back and forth, "Isn't he your boyfriend?"

_Of all things, Luke Skywalker? WAIT!_ Dia put her hands up defensively while waving them, "n-no! Looks like you got the wrong idea here. He's not my boyfriend."

"Is that so~?" said Neptune while giving her a curious look, "You two seem to have good chemistry."

"I'm telling you it's nothing like that," sighed Dia, "I'm his best friend and the one who occasionally puts him on a leash. My name is Dia Alvarez; it's nice to meet you Neptune."

The purple head rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, "hehe, sorry for the rushed intro there. I was kinda itching to go when you mentioned 'bath'."

"No worries," replied the elder girl with the same smile, "Now just to clear things up, my best friend's name isn't Luke Skywalker. His real name is Adrian Dom."

"So he was lying?" gasped Neptune as she stared at Dia with wide eyes, "that's gotta be the most convincing lie ever!"

_And you actually believed him?_ Thought Dia as she said, "well… he's like that when he smells trouble. Anyhow, where are you from, Neptune? That doesn't seem like the kind of name that's from around here."

"The same goes for 'Dia Alvarez'," commented Neptune as she pondered her answer, "Well… I'm from Gamindustri, my home's Planeptune. I'm the CPU there and— Why are you looking at me like that?"

The elder girl just realized that her right eye brow was twitching, probably from hearing the nonsense spouted into her face yet she kept her cool. This girl was strange, yes. All the more reason to keep herself open minded. Shaking her head, she gestured for the girl to continue, "Nothing's wrong. Go on, tell me your story."

"So… I was walking around when I fell into a portal; the next thing I knew was that I met that dude earlier in a clearing," explained the CPU while gazing at the blank ceiling, "I tried to convince him that I'm a real Goddess but he won't believe me. He was an idiot and thought I was lying, I mean seriously. He acted all shocked and surprised when I transformed. And that's how he brought me here and left me to you."

"That…" Dia noted the accurate description of Dom's personality and gulped, "Seems interesting."

"You don't believe me either, do you?" asked Neptune with a slight tilt of her head, causing the elder girl to shake her own.

"No, no, you misunderstand," clarified Dia as she gazed into the CPU's eyes, "I believe, you. It's just that. I'm still processing the whole thing in my head. I'm what you may call slow on the uptake."

"Ah, well that's cool," replied the Goddess with a happy smile, not really understanding what the other girl said. Blinking twice, she stared down on her coffee and fidgeted uncomfortably, "Um…"

"Yes? Is something wrong?" questioned the brown haired girl.

"Is he always like that? That Dom person, your boyfrie— I mean best friend?" Neptune said this while gazing deep into Dia's eyes.

"Eh? Why, what makes you say that?" the girl let out an amused chuckle as a small smile spread across her lips.

"Well," the purple headed girl rubbed her arm before answering, "He just seemed… strange. He wouldn't believe me no matter what I said. He was really stubborn and I had half of my mind smacking him upside the head."

Dia stared at her for a moment before sighing, "Fine… I guess I'll tell you."

"Huh? What do you mean you'll tell me? Is this some kind of plot twist that'll come out and bite me?"

"Something to that degree," the elder girl gave the CPU a half-hearted shrug, "You do realize why I'm taking this all calm like in contrast with Dom's reaction, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well," Dia scratched her cheek as she showed an uncomfortable smile, "We're used to dealing with things such as these."

"What?!" gasped Neptune, almost spilling her coffee, "Ouch! Hot, hot, hot! You mean he's some kind of super boy with powers and all that stuff? COOL."

The elder girl let out an amused giggled, covering her mouth with her hand, "Well… how do I explain this… Dom's not like the others. You may have noticed this, but he has a keen sense for the strange and weird. That's because of an ability that was passed down from his grandfather to his father and then to him. This makes him unique…special…"

"Ehh?" the Goddess seemed to be surprised at the sudden turn of events, "B-But… Wow… He never seemed to be the type… What kind of powers does he have?"

"Creation of worlds," replied Dia with a wink, "And the reason he doesn't use it, is because he wants to keep it a secret. Too bad for him, I know everything about him, even his powers. Reason I know this is that I'm his best friend and I usually tag along his adventures. The things I've seen… they're really cool, so meeting you isn't exactly much of a shock for me."

Neptune set her mug on the table as she thought long and hard, "All right then. But… Why did he act so surprised? If he's so powerful with his magic powers then why didn't he use it to get me? Ah! He was probably worried that someone would've discovered him there on the spot! That's why he was acting so strange!"

"Dom's a pretty good actor," said the elder girl with a kind smile, "looks can be deceiving you know? So you better watch out."

A giggle escaped the purpled headed girl's lips, "So he's a really nice guy huh? A cool one at that. He was just probably entranced by my beauty that he was so shocked."

"He's an idiot," sighed Dia as she sipped her own coffee, "that I can tell you. Out of all strange things we both encountered, a video game character was one of the last things in our lists."

Staring wide eyed at the elder girl, the Goddess asked, "Is… it really that surprising?"

"Mhmm," releasing a satisfied sigh as she drank her tea, the brown headed girl replied with, "It's a shock for me too. Not too many fictional characters come to life and meet up with us."

"Do you have a name?"

"Excuse me?" Dia blinked at the last question with a genuinely confused look, "Name?"

"Yeah!" Neptune hopped to her feet, with an enthusiastic bounce, "You know, the kind of name the announcer shouts while you and Dom jump into a scene with explosions behind you."

"T-T-That's kind of extreme," Dia chuckled dryly as she felt a bead of sweat form on her head, "what about you? Do you have your own name?"

"You betcha'!" answered the Goddess, dramatically pointing her index finger at the girl before her, "The SuperDimension Party! That's the name of our group, while I, the _leader_ am called Purple Heart! All knowing ruler of Planeptune!"

Blinking away her confusion, the brown haired girl responded, "Well now… I think I had the last part figured out earlier, but….SuperDimension Party… That's kind of cute. V-Very fitting."

"I know, right?" said Neptune with a wide grin.

_Right, _thought Dia, _It took all of my willpower not to cringe at the name. _Out loud, she said, "I suppose you're the strongest of the members, correct?"

"Well, I wouldn't want to brag, but if you wanna think that way then sure, why not?" said the Goddess as she sat back down on the sofa. The elder girl watched as the CPU drank her coffee while eating her muffin. It sure warmed her to see someone enjoying her pasties other than Dom. It sure was a refreshing sight.

"Wow… You actually bought it," she sighed with a small smile.

"Bought what?" asked Neptune between muffin bites.

"The story," replied Dia with an apologetic smile, "It was all a lie…"

"Eh?" the CPU suddenly stared at her with cheeks stuffed with muffin, "Ehhhhhhhhhhhh?"

"You really are a naïve girl, huh?" mused the other girl, "I'm sorry for tricking you, but… people around here would easily take advantage of you with your personality."

"S-So it was all made up?" the Goddess seemed to be having trouble taking this in, "Whoa… I… didn't know… That's bad, right?"

The human girl nodded, "Yes. Just to make things clear, Dom and I are perfectly normal people living perfectly normal lives. Honestly, this is the first time we've encountered someone like you. No, I am not lying this time, this is the truth. We don't have super powers or anything like that, we're just kids going to school and studying for the heck of it."

"Oh," Neptune lowered her head a bit disappointed at the girl's words.

Dia chuckled nervously and added, "Don't worry, it doesn't mean that it's all boring like. Still… You need to know that our world is completely different from yours, and that naivety could get you into deep trouble. The people here are different too, so you're very lucky that you met Dom and not some creep."

"Then I guess I should thank him then," suggested the CPU with a bright smile, "Besides, what's there to lose?"

Scratching her cheek, Dia voiced her opinion on the matter, "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?!" protested the little Goddess with a pout, "We'll be the besties for life, and you and I get to fight over his undying love while he looks for the rest of his harem! Come on, it's gonna be awesome! Maybe you got the head start since you're his besty, but that just puts us on equal ground since I'm gorgeous like that!"

"Please stop, I think I'm going to be sick," the elder girl's face turned green throughout Neptune's explanation. She could barely hold a straight face as she clutched her stomach, "Hell will freeze over before something like that happens. You want him? Be my guest. Seriously, I'll be happy for the both of you. I'll even pay for the wedding."

"Really?" eyes sparkling, the CPU's face came inches within the human girl's own, "Really? Really?"

"No," deadpanned Dia with an unamused stare.

"Aww…" though Neptune seemed quite happy when she moved away. Stretching her limbs, she looked around the orderly living room while the girl behind her picked up the used mugs and plates. Hearing her host's footsteps fade towards the direction of the kitchen, the purple headed girl huffed once before walking towards the sofa and collapse upon it. She sighed in relief at the comfortable cushion the couch provided. It almost made her sleepy.

Thinking about it, only four hours have gone by since her arrival into this world. A world different from her own. Neptune sat up to gather her wits, looking around the living room. Her eyes eventually rested upon the scenery out of the window, a lone lamp post before the back of a building. Compared to the rainy atmosphere outside, the inside of Dia's house was warm and welcoming. Looking back, so was Dom's.

Compared to Gamindustri, this was indeed a colorless world. Dia's words and Dom's warnings only strengthened that notion. The people here… they were different, the way those two spoke them, it felt they were cold and numb. Were dimensions past Gamindustri like this? Now that's a disturbing thought.

Then again, seeing as that there were kind people like Dia meant that maybe this world had a bit more color to spend. Hidden away in small pockets, these colors shine bright and give warmth. Maybe there was hope for this world after all, becoming this world's CPU while making it a better place doesn't sound half bad either. The Goddess giggled as she entertained the thought, that is until a yawn escaped her.

"Sleepy already?" asked a voice. Turning around, the purple headed girl found Dia leaning against the frame of a door with her arms crossed. The elder girl had a small smile on her face as she said, "Your room's ready. Why don't we get a shut eye so that you'll have the strength to maul Dom tomorrow, right?"

Jumping off the couch, Neptune followed Dia up the second floor of the house, eventually coming to a halt before a room with a blue green door. The two said their good nights and entered their respective rooms. Collapsing on her snow white bed, the CPU instantly fell asleep. It sure was a tiring day.

* * *

Morning arrived yet the gray clouds refused to part. A light drizzle fell from the sky and dampened the streets, forcing all commuters and citizens to use umbrellas or raincoats. It sure was a perfect day for sleeping in. And sleep in did Dia do. That is until she smelled the smoke.

Her eyes flying open, she threw off her blanket as she put on her fluffy slippers. Football tackling the door with her shoulder, she burst into the hall way and thundered towards the stairs. Smoke…. Black smoke hung in the air as she flew down the stairs. No fire yet, but the curtain of gray and black came in thick clumps from what seemed to be the direction of the kitchen. Dia cursed internally at the silent fire alarm, she would have to fix that later.

Thinking fast, she kicked down her front door and ran outside. She vaulted over the short iron fence which separated her backyard from her front yard and immediately broke into a sprint towards her shed. She went in and retrieved a big red fire extinguisher before proceeding to kick down her back door. She aimed the fire extinguisher at what seemed to be the source and cut loose. Breathing hard as the smoke began to clear, she found out that the cause of all of the mess was a burnt…something in her oven.

Wiping a bead of sweat from her head she sighed. She silently felt relieved that the neighbors haven't spotted the smoke. Hopefully they'll pass it off as her grilling patties or something, or else it would've been embarrassing. She looked down on her clothes and found out she was still in her pajamas, albeit stinking of smoke and sweat.

"Well… Now that was interesting," she muttered as she set aside the fire extinguisher and inspected her oven. A burnt metal tray acted as a container to a black sludge which she couldn't even begin to identify.

Hearing a rustle behind her, she slowly approached the source of the noise. Huddled in a corner with a look of being caught red handed in a crime was Neptune in a blackened pink apron over her pajamas, "Um… All I wanted to do was make pizza."

* * *

_**DING**_

A red light glowed on top of the microwave as the delicious smell of food wafted in the air. Having cleaned up the mess Neptune made, Dia immediately took a shower and changed her clothes. Once she was done, she headed back down to the kitchen, giving Neptune small smile before opening the microwave. Within it was a beautiful specimen of a microwavable pizza, convenient for those who can't make them. The elder girl smiled sweetly as she wore her mittens and took the pizza plate out. It was still quite hot so she had to be careful.

"Mmmph! Mmph! Mmph!"

Raising an eye brow, Dia turned around to look at the CPU. The Goddess was currently tied up on a chair with a thick piece of rope while being gagged by a clean towel. She gave the elder girl a teary faced look as she struggled against her bonds.

"You need to think about what you've done," sighed Dia as she placed the pizza on a large blue plate, "It's rude to wake people up by fire, you need to know that."

"Mmmph! Mmph! Mmmph!"

"I know, I know," she began to slice the pizza with a small cutter, allowing the melted cheese to ooze out of the crust. This made Neptune shudder, to which the brown headed girl continued, "You had good intentions, yes. And for that, I find it kind of sweet, really. But it seems like you've bitten more than what you can chew."

Bringing a pizza slice close to the CPU, she took the towel off the purple headed girl's mouth. Breathing hard, Neptune looked up at the slice with sparkling eyes, "F-Food! Gimme gimme!"

"No," replied Dia while yanking the slice back as the other girl lunged for the bite, followed by a dull thud as said girl fell to the ground face first, "No food until you thought up where you went wrong."

"B-Bully!" stuttered Neptune before whining, "Ouch, ouch, ouch! My head, I think it's bleeding! But food… mmmm… Ouch! My head! It's killing me!"

She felt a light pull on her back as her vision slowly leveled with the room. With her chair now standing up again, the rope that bound her slowly loosened until she could move her arms again. The Goddess immediately rubbed her sore spot before wincing at the stinging pain. Looking up she noticed Dia offering her an ice pack with a smile. There was no telling what this girl was thinking, whether she was happy or angry. Though she could be really scary when pissed.

Neptune gladly took the pack and placed it on her head. She took note that this girl was scarier than either Blanc or Plutia combined. It wouldn't do angering her any further. She watched as Dia got another pizza slice and gave it to the CPU. Gazing at the food in wonder, the Goddess excitedly munched on it with glee. Meanwhile, the other girl settled for some toast and sweet bread, a mug of coffee steaming on her table as she sat down. Just as the little Goddess was about to grab another pizza slice, she slapped it away. Forcing a whimper out of the girl.

"Say your prayers first," chided Dia as she clapped her hands together.

"Eh?" Neptune blinked twice before following the elder girl's example.

"Thank you for the food," they both muttered before digging in. The early morning meal went on quietly, save for the Goddess' loud munching, twice Dia had to scold her for eating too loud or too fast. Once in a while, the human girl would have to cook again seeing as how the CPU was still happy. She gave the girl a few cakes that she made over the past week, she was planning on selling them on the bakery she had her part time job in while also feeding them to Dom whenever he ran out of food. It turned out that Neptune was the quickest and most convenient way of disposing all of them.

Soon, the bread and cakes were reduced into nothing, the pizza long gone and a number of plates with bread crumbs stacked on the table. The brown headed girl having been entertained by the Goddess' bottomless stomach was now ready to wash the dish that is until Neptune volunteered to help.

"Are you sure?" she asked warily, the last time she allowed the girl to 'help' things almost ended up in flames.

"Yeppers! I'll be extra careful from now! Don't worry!" piped the shorter girl while bouncing on her feet. She then proceeded to lift a couple plates and place them on the sink. Maybe placing would be an understatement, dropping them hard would be more accurate. "Oops…"

Glancing at Dia, she found her releasing a heavy sigh before cleaning up the second mess of the day. Instead of getting angry like during the smoke earlier, the elder girl seemed more composed as she said, "You need to be more careful…"

"Ah, okay…" the CPU seemed to be a bit embarrassed, deciding to take a seat on one of the chairs instead as she watched Dia work. It seemed strange though, for someone so young, the elder girl looked like she had been doing this kind of thing her entire life. Was this girl so accustomed to taking care of people so much? "Say… Dia."

"Hm?" the girl in question glanced back with a blink.

"Are you always like this? This place seems kinda boring you know?" said Neptune, turning her attention at a lone fly buzzing overhead, "Is there anyone else living here? Or… Are you the forever alone type of person?"

"Ah… well," Dia turned her eyes back on the dishes as she cleaned them, "I'm kinda used to it by now. Living alone, yeah it can be boring sometimes. It's the reason why I spend most of my time out and about. And no, I'm not alone. I have friends at school and there's Dom bringing me Chinese takeaways."

"Out and about?" asked the Goddess with a tilt of her head, "Then why aren't you out now?"

"Because it's raining, oh my benevolent Goddess," stated the elder girl half mockingly and half in amusement, "The city's a great place to kill time. Sometimes I go out to watch the scenery, attend talk shows and watch the show live. Other times I'll be working on my part time job at a bakery, that's where I learned how to bake and such."

"Ah, you mean those tasty bread that you gave me?" the purple headed girl's eyes sparkled in wonder.

"Y-Yeah," stuttered the human girl uncomfortably as she placed another plate on top of a stack, "Anyway, things are pretty normal here. We eat, we work, we study, and we live. Pretty boring I guess. You can say that I like this kind of boring life."

"So you don't have monsters here?" asked the CPU in wonder and curiosity, "Wow… I never knew a place like that is real. So how do you level up if you don't have monsters to beat up? Do you have to find them in dungeons? Or do you have to search for treasures?'

"People don't level up here," replied Dia in an uncomfortable tone. She took the stacks of plates one by one and placed them in the plate holder, "The closest thing we have to that is either getting a promotion in your job or celebrating your birthdays. The former kinda sucks actually, seeing how it's hard to attain. Lots of grinding is needed, while the latter… It's easier, though it doesn't get any better past level forty and up."

"Oh…" muttered Neptune in a slightly disappointed tone, "Well… what do you do for fun if you don't have monsters to kill?"

"Well…" the elder girl wiped her hands on a towel as she pondered her answer, "We can play games. Learn new things that we find useful. Go out and travel. Struggle to lose weight, stuff like that."

"What do you do for fun?" questioned the Goddess, she seemed rather determined whenever she asked something. Dia couldn't fathom the reason why.

"I like baking cakes, surfing the internet, and archery," she answered, counting off the things she said on her fingers.

"Wait, you can shoot arrows?!" shocked at this particular bit of information, Neptune fell off her chair having lost her balance. Fortunately, the elder girl was quick enough to catch her by the arm, saving her from a rough landing. Dusting her clothes, the CPU nodded gratefully before continuing, "You can shoot arrows? But I thought there weren't any monsters here!"

"There aren't" confirmed Dia with a smile, "It's mostly for sports or simply venting your frustration on a target. Some see archery as an art; I for one enjoy shooting Dom's picture whenever he pisses me off."

"You two must get along with each other," the elder girl detected no trace of sarcasm in Neptune's words. Meaning the girl really meant it. She didn't know if she would take that as a compliment or not. The morning went quietly after that. Dia herself was surprised. A complete stranger was within her house and she was fine with it.

That feeling of uneasiness she experienced during Neptune's first hour was gone now. It was probably because of a headache that hit her at the wrong time. Still, she found it a lot easier to stalk to the girl. Whether her claims of being a Goddess or not is real, she never really got the chance to have a heart to heart talk with another girl. The ones she was acquainted with at school weren't really that close to her. This feeling was different; strange how she could freely speak to a person she just met.

She still had to talk to a certain bastard about this. So she went upstairs and took a quick shower before changing into her day clothes. As she descended into the living room, she tossed Neptune a few of her old clothes back in middle school. Confused, the CPU held them up in order to examine them just before she shot the elder girl a questioning look.

Dia only replied in kind, "Get changed. We're paying a visit to a certain someone."

* * *

_Nicolas Notes: _

_Hello once again dear reader, and for what would be the last time until the unforeseeable future. This will be the final pre-written chapter for the month of March. I'll probably write more, though my other stories are pulling my back. Sorry. _

_On another note, I'm still accepting any assistance you guys may be able to provide, given they are polite and relevant._

_In this chapter, the second protagonist of this story is introduced. Dia seems to be Dom's anti-thesis if one were to look at it. Here's to hoping she'll balance the other guy's sharp tongue and idiocy. Of course, you weren't expecting the CPUs to stay at a guy's house, right? RIGHT? _

_On the coming chapters, it's where the real show starts. How things will go on will either depend on a number on things, my mood for example...Or you guys. Heh, anyhow, thanks for taking your time into reading this little thing. I'm still quite new to the place so I'll be asking for help from time to time._

_Tell me what's on your mind at the reviews section. Though remember to be polite, and I'll hear you out. _

_Until next time readers._

_TALLYHO~_


	4. Chapter 4: A Tour

Silence. Pure undisturbed silence reigned over the messy apartment. After the disaster that has occurred the previous evening, a young man's home could never be messier than this. The entire living room suffered no permanent damage from the explosion that night, though it did over turn the sofa, blow away disk casing from the shelves and scatter countless of figurines into the carpeted floor. Manga and books were scattered about as if someone threw them all over the place in a fit of rage while a couple of vases were knocked down, thankfully not shattering into a thousand pieces.

Dom simply didn't have the motivation or interest to clean up.

He just lay there on his bed, not bothering to change into his sleep wear. The sheer shock on what happened mere hours ago was still burning fresh in his mind's eye. The moment he arrived back home after he disposed of his problem, he immediately collapsed on his bed, unmoving. He didn't feel like eating at all, it seemed like he lost his appetite shortly after that girl… transformed right before his eyes. The boy stared at his ceiling for what seemed like an eternity, silently begging sleep to take him away so that he'll wake up with everything normal again. And sleep complied, only that things didn't return to normal even after he shut his eyes.

And so here he was, in his bedroom, surprisingly tidy in contrast with the catastrophe stricken living room. His gentle breathing echoing on the sky blue walls as he slept peacefully. A faint ray of light slipped past his curtains, slightly illuminating the room even for a bit.

The boy in his jeans and yellow shirt continued to sleep without care in the world, hopelessly trying to escape from the cold harsh reality that there's an impossible being running around and staying at his best friend's house. That's when reality decided to give him a nudge in the form of his alarm clock ringing.

_**Dango dango dango dango dango daikazoku**_

_**Dango dango dango dango dango daikazoku**_

With an annoyed grunt, he slammed his fist on his alarm clock, successfully silencing it. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as he fell into the comfort of his pillows once more, sleep slowly embracing him once again. However it seemed like the universe simply disliked him judging from the insistent ringing of his alarm clock. Only this time it played a different tune with a much louder volume.

_**BURAKKU ROKKU SHUUTAA natsukashii kioku  
tada tanoshikatta ano goro wo  
BURAKKU ROKKU SHUUTAA demo ugokenai yo  
yami wo kakeru hoshi ni negai wo mou ichido dake hashiru kara**_

His patience finally snapping in half, the boy grabbed the clock and tossed it into the waste bin. It immediately went silent. Now fully awake, Dom decided to stretch his arms a bit along with a yawn. He scratched his head in irritation before looking at his calendar. He mentally kicked himself for thinking that he had school. His classroom just burned down yesterday and now he was worrying whether he should go or not. An annoyed snort escaped him as he decided whether classes were on or not, he'll just stay at home and rest. Maybe gather what remains of his sanity while he was at it.

Exiting his room after making his bed, Dom examined the ungodly mess in his living room.

"Nope," he muttered to himself as he made his way towards his partly demolished kitchen. Walking towards his refrigerator, he quickly grabbed a carton of milk and drank directly from it. In three large gulps, he finally released a satisfied sigh, "Nothing to do but browse the net and play games…. Maybe after I clean up a bit…"

With that he started to work.

It sure was hard with the general cleaning taking about thirty minutes while organizing ate up an hour. A frustrating job seeing as how some of his disc cases reached places he would have never thought possible while the figurines he had were a pain to display all over again. However as he worked, his whole body went into autopilot while the rest of his mind thought about something else entirely. It was about the strange girl he met yesterday, the one who single handedly made his living room explode.

A girl named Neptune. It was sure funny how a seemingly harmless little girl could turn his already sucky day into hell. It was like rubbing salt in his wounds, shattering his logic into a thousand pieces by transforming into… A Goddess. Speaking of his arm, it kind of stung a bit. Maybe he ought to replace the bandage by lunch time.

Still, the thought still baffled him. He tried so much to quash the idea out of his head and go about his merry life, yet looking around the mess in his apartment; he knew that it wasn't a dream. Neptune held his hand and helped him up; she spoke to him in both her human and Goddess modes. Her hair, eyes, and skin were all real. There was nothing he could come up with to deny the existence of all that. It couldn't have been special effects or some cheap trick. The way her gaze pierced him like a knife, it was annoying, it was real.

His head throbbed the more he thought about it. There was simply too many information to process all at once. And he knew he couldn't let these overcome him, Dom knew himself better than that. There was the option of pretending that this never happened, though he can never deny that this was just a dream. Now he just needs to live his life with the knowledge that… a videogame character owned him in a beat down, demolished his apartment and unknowingly kicking and spitting at his logic.

"GODDAMMIT!" roared the boy, viciously kicking a stray ball only to have it bounce off the wall and rebound towards his head. With a dull thud, it collided with his cheek, sending him sprawling on the floor. Breathing hard, he winced as he rubbed his sore cheek as he got up, "Okay… Now _THAT_ was pathetic…"

And at that exact moment, Dom heard three loud knocks come from his front door, "Okay…"

Dusting his clothes, his footsteps could be heard throughout the room as he made his way towards the door. He sighed as he grabbed the doorknob and pull it open. Eyes widening, he slammed it shut not even a millisecond passing by. No… Not again… Locking his door tight, he barely had enough time to move away just before it flew open. Cold fresh air entered the boy's home, an otherworldly beauty walking alongside it. It was a woman, dark purple hair complimenting well with her bright blue eyes.

She wore a light violet coat which went along with her black skirt and leggings. Her hood was up so that her long silky hair flowed down her modest chest as her eyes gazed through Dom's soul. A strange choking noise was emitted from the boy's throat as he continued to stare at the woman, slowly raising a finger at her direction.

"Greetings Adrian Dom, may I come in?" asked Purple Heart, giving the newly cleaned apartment a once over.

Dom was struck dumb at her words. Once again, his mind has turned into static unable to comprehend the existence of the woman before him. He was seriously reconsidering the idea of her being an eldritch abomination. Without waiting for his reply, the Goddess respectfully took off her shoes and went in, walking past the boy. The moment she walked by, the gears inside his head began to work once more, granting him the ability to move his limbs once more.

Turning around, he was about to ask the CPU to get out of his house and life when all of a sudden, a spine chilling terror ran down his spine. Gulping hard, Dom turned once more with a more neutral expression.

That was when pain exploded within his crotch. Uttering a strangled yelp, the boy fell on his knees before slumping next to the wall. Through his pain filled vision, he could make out the outline of a girl's legs just before he felt a pressure lifting him up. Groaning in pain, he managed to blink away the dark spots dancing at the edge of his eyes just to see Dia's livid look. The girl was holding him up by his collar with both of her hands, a bit surprising for a girl her of her figure.

"Good morning, you back stabbing bastard," growled the brown headed girl through gritted teeth, her gray eyes blazing with diving wrath, "Miss me?"

"D-Dia," croaked the helpless boy, his head still throbbing from the pain, "H-how are you?"

"I'm fine, thanks," she let him go, sending him sprawling on the floor, still moaning in pain, "glad to see you're still concerned. You see, we have a lot of things to talk about."

"Go to hell," hissed the boy, closing his watering eyes.

"Love you too," said Dia with a cruel smirk, "I'll give you five minutes to recover and fix yourself. We have an audience with a Goddess."

* * *

The atmosphere was tense. It was as if there was a thick curtain of uneasiness in the air, causing one to struggle breathing or staying focused. This was obviously due to the effect of being in the presence of an all-powerful being from another plane of existence while recovering from being kicked in the nuts from a very pissed best friend. It was probably what people called pressure, and Dom didn't like it one bit.

The only reason why he hasn't unleashed his righteous divine wrath upon his two guests was that he was at a disadvantage if he pounced and lunged for their throats. Taking on a Goddess and a very angry girl was the last thing on his list, however deep within his mind he already kicked them out of his apartment five times in the most creative manners. Right now, he was just as angry as Dia yet he bottled it up and forced himself to make them juice. Though with great effort he resisted the strain of suddenly roaring.

The tiny ice cubes floating clinked as seconds ticked by, Purple Heart being the only one to take a sip of juice the whole time.

"Remind me again…" began Dom, as he stared at the human girl sitting on his sofa while he sat on his dinner chair, "Why you are my best friend?"

Dia raised an eye brow as a small mocking smile appeared upon her lips, "I pay your rent, treat you to food, you receive your monthly allowance from your parents via me, and you wouldn't be able to survive your school dance without suffering pain, humiliation and despair if it weren't for me."

"That's making it sound like I'm in debt to you or something!" protested the boy, rising from his seat.

"Because you are," replied the girl with an air of indifference.

"It's supposed to be the other way around," deadpanned the former.

"Well you're not making enough effort to make it look that way," said the latter in a sharp tone.

"I wonder why," mocked Dom as he shot an intense glare at her.

"Hmph, you should know why," retaliated Dia as she closely examined her glass, checking if it was poisoned or something.

"You two seem to get along quite nicely," commented Purple Heart, watching the two argue back and forth like an interesting tennis rally.

"Shut up," responded both humans in perfect unison, not caring if they were speaking to a being that transcends their very existence. However, Purple Heart being herself and Neptune's alter ego, all she could do was blink in confusion as the two spoke at the same time. Dia and Dom were about to continue their little banter when the Goddess suddenly began to glow.

On instinct, the boy dashed for his room just as the light surrounding Neptune reached its brightest point. Slamming the door behind him, he waited for the explosion. Fortunately for his apartment, nothing happened. He peeked his head from behind the door to see if anything has changed. Everything looked normal save for the Goddess whom was reverted back into her more energetic and eccentric state. Dia on the other hand had sunglasses on, probably to prevent her eyes from going partially blind from the light.

Dom sighed as he exited his room and went back to his guests, Neptune immediately zeroing on him while giving a shout resembling a battle cry, "DUMMY!"

A simple side step did the job, causing the Goddess to crash into the wall. The boy glanced at the dazed CPU for a second before asking his friend, giving her a confused look, "Dummy?"

"You're lucky you're not Dee-Dee," replied Dia with a grimace while crossing her arms, "It's the nickname she gave me. Be proud you have your own."

"Damn I should've seen this coming," groaned the boy while rubbing his temple, apparently stressed out, "She has the tendency to nickname anyone she meets or anything she sees…"

At that exact moment did the Goddess decide to revive, sitting up straight before standing up with a bounce in her feet. Now that he got a good look at her, the boy noticed that the outfit she wore was similar to what her Goddess mode's previous dress. Coat, skirt and leggings matching almost perfectly, if not for the slight lightness of their color. Now this particular bit puzzled the human boy, just where did those clothes come from? There was no way she could've changed that fast and the clothes had to come from somewhere.

Once again, the universe was flipping him the bird.

With a sigh, he decided to let this one slide and act as if it were normal. He had the feeling that this would be part of his daily routine from now on. Shuddering at the thought, Dom mentally squashed the idea into oblivion. There was no way in hell she was allowing this girl to stay in his life. There had to be a way to drive her out.

As the male protagonist momentarily contemplates the best course of action, Neptune decided to speak up, "Noire's socks, _that_ escalated quickly. You guys sure make friends fast. But are you sure you guys are best friends? I kinda don't buy it."

"We are," confirmed Dia with a nod of her head, however Dom had other ideas.

"We are?" he asked with a bewildered look.

"Oh don't give me that crap," snapped the brunette, her eyes flashing dangerously.

The boy merely shrugged off the girl's death glare. He then placed a serious expression on his face, turning his attention to the Goddess, "So… What do you two want? And here I thought I was ready to tackle my normal life once more while forgetting what happened last night." Shooting Dia a glare, he said," I thought she was _your_ problem from now on? Why bring her here?"

"First of all, she's now _our _guest, not problem," clarified the girl, slumping back into the sofa as the CPU began observing them with bright interest, "Secondly, you brought this unto yourself, but I'm just too soft and couldn't trust you with this girl's well-being, so I'm helping out."

"So? You're telling me that we're going to have to babysit her for god knows how long?" snorted the boy with a mocking smirk, "Yeah right. Fat chance."

Dia however ignored this, "And finally, you're going to apologize."

"Excuse me?" asked Dom with a raised eyebrow, "could you repeat that?"

"You heard me," said the brunette with an air of superiority, "You knew quite well that this girl right here is something unique and fragile, yet you were rude, unaccommodating, selfish, cold, and acted as a complete douchebag that I could toss into the deepest pits of hell and back. You left her in the rain and abandoned her to a complete stranger."

"Woe has come to such a majestic creature," deadpanned Dom with an unamused stare, "Look, as rude as I was, I kinda let her stayed here, gave her a towel to dry herself with, explained to her the situation and even offer my assistance. However, my dear naïve friend, the moment she… transformed… I was on a full case of 'NOPE' and did the best possible option that I had. Send her to you. Why? Because you're a capable little caring teddy bear that couldn't resist picking up strays unlike a cold, selfish prick like me who would've called the police on her and send her into an institution. And note that you're not a complete stranger, you're Dia 'nut kicking' Alvarez. Any more dumb questions?"

Everything became silent after that. It was as if the world had stopped breathing. A fast and enthusiastic applause unceremoniously shattered the stillness that crept over the air. It wasn't that hard to guess that it was Neptune who was doing that thing, "Wow! Dee-Dee's got this stupid look on her face! Way to go, Dummy! Turns out you're not a complete Dummy after all!"

The elder girl pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance, "This is why I hate it when I argue with you. No need to shove logic into my face. Look, the point here is, you were very rude and there's no denying that. So why don't you just calm down and apologize."

"I'm sorry," Dom had to duck low as a figurine sailed over his head, "What the hell!?"

"Not to me, you dope!" Dia pointed her hand at the CPU, "her! Apologize to her!"

"Fine, dammit…" hissed the boy before turning his attention towards Neptune. The girl stared at him with her big, round, purple eyes that seemed to glint from the light above. She suddenly smiled without warning, swaying from left to right as she expectantly waited for him to say the magic words. Was she mocking him? It didn't seem that way. He had a lot of practice detecting insults, sarcasm, and mockery all thanks to his best friend over there. He could tell that that the Goddess was thinking of anything but making him mad. That was the thing that annoyed him.

Inhaling a deep breath, he then apologized, "I'm sorry for being a jerk. I will never do it again and will give you the respect that you deserve. I sincerely apologize…"

"Nope, not happening," chirped the CPU with a bright smile.

"Hey Dia, can I kill her now?" he asked as he glanced behind him. Judging from the shaking of his friend's head, she didn't agree with his views at the moment. Sighing, he then muttered under his breath, "Well this… is pointless. Wonderful way wasting five minutes of my life."

"Is that all you have to say?" teased Neptune while giggling to herself.

"Alright then, what do you want?" asked Dom in an annoyed tone.

"Kiss me you fool!"

"Do you want me to kick you?"

The brunette slapped a palm over her face. This was slowly turning into a horrible comedy show that wasn't even remotely funny. Well that was just her thoughts, but this was getting nowhere faster than a cheetah on crack. She had to drag them back to the topic at hand somehow. Now that she thought of it, she had to do something about Dom's oversized ego while she was at it. Seeing these two interact with each other was giving her a brain hemorrhage.

"Neptune," she called in a tired tone, bottling up her urge to smack their hollow heads together, "You can ask that basta— _idiot _anything aside from things like that. That's against his moral code."

"Wait, hold up, don't I get a say in this?" protested the boy yet was silenced by Dia's piercing glare. He gulped and shut up immediately.

The CPU on the other hand seemed to be, by some miracle, thinking about it. The gears within her brain were finally working, hell; it's a surprise her brain was even working in the first place. A dozen of things seemed to be running through her mind, however one particular thing raised above all the others. With a bright smile, she turned to the boy and said, "I've decided!"

"Hm? Out with it, then," replied Dom, not particularly interested in whatever she had in mind.

"I want to see the city!" announced the Goddess with much enthusiasm.

Blinking twice, the boy frowned at her and said, "You do know it's raining outside? I mean, you got a coat and a hoodie. The streets are wet and… well…. Stuff... How can you see the city through that huh? It's not like you can snap your fingers and—"

_**SNAP**_

Dia and Dom gave each other a quick glance before turning their eyes back at Neptune, the one who snapped her fingers. Wasting no time, the two humans scrambled for the window and wrenched the curtains open. What they saw was enough to cause their jaws to hang.

The sky… was blue. The sun shone and a rainbow came down from the heavens. It was like the recent weather never happened. The fact that these two knew what caused this miracle left them dumbfounded. At that moment, their logic just went out of the window on a trip to the Antarctic.

"… The rain… poof…" said Dia in a weak voice, gazing wide eyed at the white clouds, "My head hurts…"

"I'm seriously reconsidering seeing a doctor," muttered Dom in a hoarse tone, this was it. This was the last straw, he didn't care anymore, "Poof… This isn't supposed to happen…"

The two felt a tug on their arms, causing them to be dragged by Neptune all the way to the door, "Come on! The weather's fine now, so we can play outside! This is gonna be the best three date ever!"

* * *

Water splashed as a foot stepped into a puddle, owner of said foot turned out to be a girl in her early teens, waving her arm towards her two companions lagging behind. Dia was silently thinking over what happened to the weather while Dom had his shoulders slumped as he forced himself on his death march. Both looked up to the sky once more and sighed.

"Hey! You slowpokes better hurry up or else I'll let you eat my dust!" called the Goddess with a very happy smile. The brunette returned this with a nervous smile while waving back, the boy on the other hand sighed again while finding somewhere else to look at.

"Not if I shove it up your face first," muttered Dom. He then crossed his arms and added, "So? What now, we just take her around for a walk like the hyper active puppy she is?"

"It's the best course of action rather than caging her somewhere," replied Dia, keeping a watchful eye on the Goddess, "Besides, you need to get out more."

"Fine… if you say so," relented her friend as he walked ahead. The girl was confused at this at first, she wondered why would he walk ahead of her until she saw how he grabbed Neptune by the back of her collar just as she was about to poke a sleeping bum. Having successfully captured the CPU, he went back to Dia's side, the purple headed girl being dragged by the arm.

"Okay, so," began the boy as he faced Neptune, whom was still glancing curiously at the unconscious homeless person, "Hey, listen! You do not touch people if they're not bothering you, you got that? It's rude and someone may as well give you a black eye for. Neptune! Are you listening?"

"What is that~?" once again, the CPU ran off into a random direction with the enthusiasm of a child on sugar rush. Dia took the initiative to chase her this time, gesturing to her friend to stay put. The boy crossed his arms and sighed, babysitting a Divine Being sure was a pain. At the back of his mind he still wondered if this was all real, if this went on any longer than it should, he'll start questioning a whole lot of things.

An event like this isn't like those in the manga he read, or anime he had watched. Sure he was probably getting himself into something deep and serious just by interacting with that girl, however what would this mean for him? Dom couldn't just act as if this were all going to be a part of his life from now on, there had to be a reason why she was here. It couldn't be all a coincidence, right? Fate? Destiny?

The boy uttered a snort as he pinched the bridge of his nose. It was bull crap, the lot of it. Yet he has seen it for his own eyes. The power she demonstrated, the transformation, the rippling energy her Goddess form emitted, the thought of it sent a chill down his spine. Just what part of his world was real? What is fake? Maybe thinking about it too much was bad. He was already starting to develop a headache.

It must be a luxury, being a Goddess. Having played the game Neptune originated from, he knew exactly what kind of life she lived. A carefree life living at the top of the world, a luxury indeed. Thinking back the day before yesterday, he lived that kind of life. He needed to think about this a bit more later, for now he'll need to survive this day in one piece.

"Damn… I forgot how goddamn noisy this place is…" grumbled Dom as he looked around.

"It's Akihabara, what do you expect?" replied a voice from behind him.

Turning around, Dom caught sight of a familiar face, "Nick?"

"Yo!" greeted the other boy, wearing a dark purple jacket with his hood up. A white flowery apron was on his front as he offered a tray of freshly cooked takoyaki, "Free samples?"

"No thanks," declined Dom with a wave of his hand, "Isn't it strange for you to be selling in the middle of the shopping district? And how do you keep those things warm in the first place?"

"Some questions are better unanswered," said Nick with a mischievous smile, "Come on just take a few. Dia and the girl with you should be back from the hat shop a block from here, can't have them returning to you all hungry, aye? Be a man and give your women some grub."

"This is harassment, you know that?" muttered the male protagonist as he reluctantly took the plastic wrapped food, "And no. repeat the last line and I swear I'll send you to the hospital."

The other boy merely smirked as he said his goodbyes before walking away. Across the bustling crowds, Dom found the two girls running towards him. As always, Neptune had her limitless vigor about her while Dia gasped and wheezed while clutching her knees. As the brunette struggled to recover, the Goddess insistently tugged at his arm while pointing at her head.

"Well? Well? What do you think?" Neptune did a little twirl before making a cute pose. Suffice to say, the boy swallowed his laughter and gave her a curious look. A pink beanie cap covered most of her oddly colored hair, reducing her chances of sticking out like a sore thumb in a crowd. It also seemed like she wore a brand new coat, her old one hidden within a bag Dia carried.

Handing his best friend her food, the boy glanced back at the pouting CPU, apparently not happy on being ignored, "At least now we won't need to use the cosplay excuse. Hey Dia, time to go."

"Eh?" the brunette seemed to be startled at his words, "Where are we going now?"

"Some place high?"

* * *

Opening the rooftop door, light invaded her vision. Dia had to shield her eyes with her arms to prevent herself from going blind for a moment. Wind. The cool summer breeze blew by and refreshed her face. Taking slow careful steps, she opened her eyes bit by bit. Before her was a bustling metropolis, gray buildings standing high and tall, though it seemed like the building she was on proved to be taller than the rest. She had to squint her eyes for the white colored floor reflected too much light.

Instead, she turned her gaze towards the sky. Blue. So clear, and just a day ago it was so gray that she could barely see the sun. And the reason the weather was normal again was just behind her. Following her footsteps was Neptune, bursting out of the door and into the rooftop, her eyes wide in amazement while her jaw hung in awe. Not a moment later, Dom emerged from the door while scratching the back of his head, closing the door behind him before continuing forward.

"Well now, quite the view ain't it?" he asked, his voice being carried around by the wind, "Yakumo Telecommunications Main Building, scaling over six hundred and ninety two feet, might be half of Tokyo Tower's full height, but what the heck."

"It's so…. Windy here!" yelled Neptune, cupping her hands around her mouth.

"I don't know the exact height of the Nep-tower back in Planeptune," continued Dom, placing his hands within his pockets, "But maybe this'll give you a good reminder of home."

The Goddess spun around and gave him a questioning look, "is it okay to be here? I mean… Do you own this thing or what?"

"Own? Neptune, Dom doesn't own this building," answered Dia with an amused smile, "This is just one of the corporates that has allied itself with his parents' business."

"But that doesn't mean I can strut around like some douche, advertising it," snapped the boy, shooting the brunette an annoyed glare, "Don't think about it too much. It's not like the company's that big. It's just a small scale business, hell; this thing is even bigger than my mom and dad's."

"So you're like a billionaire then?" concluded the CPU, hitting her fist on her open palm.

"Of course not!" denied Dom, "Look, the parent subject is kinda sour. The thing is, we can stay here as long as we don't kill any humans by pushing them off. Dia, you take care of her, I'm going to try and find a vending machine. Neptune, stay behind the rails, and for all thing's sacred, don't jump…"

"Okay!" replied the Goddess with a happy smile.

"Hey, make it quick okay?" called the human girl, her words unheard as the door leading back down slammed shut. She sighed as she turned her attention back to the scenery before her. The landscape was filled with gray buildings, various establishments and heavy traffic. She could see the rail tracks of Tokyo station cutting across the land like some lazy snake.

This kind of atmosphere was making her sleepy. The damp smell of wet concrete, as weird as it was it kind of made her mind a bit drowsy. It's been a long time since she attended class, during these times she would be working hard during P.E. period. But then again, her summer vacation officially a week ago, so there wasn't any class to attend to. All she had to do then was to wait for Dom's classes to end so that she could tutor him.

Thinking back on the events that happened yesterday, her summer schedule just got crazier with the appearance of Neptune. It wasn't that she didn't like the little Goddess; it was just that her appearance was so unexpected the Dia had a hard time to react. She didn't know if the arrival of this girl would be for the better or for the worst, all that mattered was that she could at least enjoy herself. Besides that, the past few hours were more lively compared to spending the whole day either playing video games with her best friend or reading a book.

Spending her days like this, maybe it won't be too bad after all.

"Hey Dia."

"Something wrong, Neptune?"

"It's just like what you said," The Goddess leaned forward on the railings, the strands of hair poking out of her cap swaying, "This world really is different. You see this isn't the first time I've jumped dimensions. The first time I did it, I travelled through time into a parallel world. Okay, now that in itself was freaky, but it kinda gave me… comfort you know? I got see a few of my besties of friends, but it kinda sucks that they're babies you know? I also met a few familiar faces there too… But here…"

Neptune turned her head to the side, giving the human girl a small smile, "It's all gray. Colorless. It's weird how people like you and Dom get to have your color despite all of this."

"Color?" asked Dia, "What do you mean by that?"

"You're fun, interesting, and never boring," stated the purple girl while counting them on her fingers, "Same with your friend. You two are among the handful of people that I find interesting in this world."

"I guess I'll take that as a compliment then," giggled the brunette soon to be followed by the Goddess. At the back of her mind, she began to think, _This girl's adapting impressively. To think that she'll be this comfortable with me and Dom. Kinda makes me worried if that guy didn't take her in. It's a good thing he did, though…_

"Hey Neptune," she called.

"Wazzup?"

"Are you okay with this? I mean, being a videogame character? Don't you feel weird or anything?"

The Goddess pouted as she crossed her arms, "Really, Dia? Are you trying to make me feel bad?"

"Whoa, hold up there," the human girl raised her arms in surrender, "I-It's nothing like that! I'm just… curious on to what you feel. I mean… People in this world don't know that you exist; they think that you're nothing more than a drawing and numbers. Ah! Wait, no! I didn't mean it to be that harsh, but…. Well… What do you think, Neptune?"

"It's okay I guess," replied the CPU with a pondering look, "I never really thought about it until now."

"Really? Then you really are a hopeless person," said Dia with a bright smile.

"You're making fun of me, aren't you?" accused Neptune with another pout.

"Maybe I am?" teased the human girl. A moment passed by and both of them fell into laughter. It was a wonderful feeling, it was the same feeling she felt whenever she was with her best friend. She liked the way the Goddess thought things. Now that she thought of it, Divine Beings never had to stress themselves out from little problems such as existential crisis. Unlike normal humans, they were fine with whatever floats their boat. Sometimes Dia wished she could be like that, never having the need of overthinking things.

"Hey you two," called a voice, "stop laughing like maniacs, I can hear you two all the way from the first floor."

"Dummy, you're back!" cheered Neptune with a bounce on her feet.

"Here," Dom tossed Dia her cola which she promptly caught, "You owe me."

"Thanks," replied the brunette, she was too cheerful to gripe.

And then the boy pushed the Goddess over the rail, causing her to fall over the edge.

"**WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaa hhhhhhhhhhhhh….."**

…..

Neptune fell.

"Y-Y-You…" the human girl struggled to force her words out as she pointed a trembling finger at the boy, "Y-You just p-pushed her?"

Dom dusted his hands as he looked at the brunette with a sigh, "told you, you'll owe me. Now that's one problem out of our li—"

"YOU JUST PUSHED LITTLE GIRL OFF A FUCKING BUILDING!"

"So?"

"THAT'S MURDER; YOU JUST COMMITTED MURDER IN FRONT OF ME! DON'T ACT LIKE THAT'S NOT SOMETHING I SHOULDN'T BE WORRIEED ABOUT!"

"Nah, she'll be fine. Besides, you do know I'm an impulsive kind of person."

"THAT'S NOT EVEN REMOTELY FUNNY!"

"Look, it'll take more than being pushed off a building to rid ourselves of that girl. She survived falling from the sky once, she can survive it again. If not, then our problems are solved."

"DAMMIT DOM, THIS IS SERIOUS!"

"You don't say?"

"THIS ISN'T THE TIME TO BE JOKING, DAMMIT!"

"I know, right?"

Dia smacked her forehead with her own palm, "You… Are you an idiot? That was totally uncalled for! Just how can you act so naturally after pushing a person off a building?!"

"I forgot to take my medicine," replied Dom with a mocking smile, hastily wiped off with an extreme pain in his nether region. As the pain grew worse, he fell on his knees and was breathing heavily, his vision began to blur too. The brunette stood with an outraged expression as she stomped her foot on the ground.

"Did you hit your head or something?!" she roared, grabbing the boy by the collar.

"Okay fine! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" cried the boy, desperately trying to release himself from the pissed girl, "Let me go already dammit! I swear I'll throw you off ne—Hey, Neptune's back."

The two cease their struggling as the form of the Goddess rose into the air in her HDD mode. As an added note, she was in her purple and black bodysuit once more, her long purple braids swaying along the wind. Within her hand was an elegant black and violet blade.

She was looking at Dom with red eyes.

"Oh shit…" that was the moment Dom ran for his life.

* * *

The sun was beginning to set and the trio still had no intention going home. Well, the two females at least had no plans, while the boy… Dom wanted nothing more than to go home. The only reason he hasn't was that a Divine Being had his wrist on a death grip and was now dragging him away from a roller coaster ride. Amusement park goers passed by the three of them, noisily chatting or complaining about nausea. Despite this, the boy could still hear Dia lecturing the little Goddess.

"….And furthermore, you do not, and I mean DO NOT transform just to ride a roller coaster, am I understood?" scolded the brunette, giving the CPU a sharp glare. This however went unheeded as Neptune maintained her bright smile, dragging the boy without a care in the world.

"Dia… please… help me…" pleaded Dom as his legs lost their strength and were now sliding on the ground as the CPU tugged on him.

"You dug yourself into that hole, now get yourself out," replied the girl in an uncaring tone.

"Damn… you…" hissed the boy as something caught Neptune's attention once more, dragging both him and Dia.

For the next hour, the trio spent most of their time jumping from ride to ride, playing various games and eating at countless snack bars. The little Goddess seemed to be enjoying herself to the fullest. All that time, the two humans accompanied her without a complaint (Dom having to shut his mouth due to Dia threatening to kick him again).

By the time the boy checked his watch, it was already half past five and Neptune still had no intention of going home. He glanced at the two girls over at a crane game, Dia doing her best to calm down a hot blooded Goddess from demolishing the game. That girl could be a handful sometimes.

He fished out his wallet and took a glance on its contents. Not bad, there was still enough for dinner and fare for the taxi. For some reason, he hated being the guy at these times. Dia was abusing the "be-a-gentleman" card to extreme levels. But then again this was Dia he was thinking about, he should be used to her by now. Though he could still consider surviving this day a miracle. Sure a lot of mishaps happened, Neptune going berserk from being pushed off a building and his best friend kicking him in the nuts and taking his money, but despite all that… It was kind of fun.

"Heh, fun…" he muttered in an amused tone, "Maybe it was… Huh?"

"Hey Dom!" called Dia, waving her arm from afar. Dom tilted his head and sent her a questioning look, only to see Neptune jumping up and down while tugging her arm. The brunette then continued, "Stay where you are! We're gonna go someplace private, okay? Jilt us and you're dead!"

With that they ran off in a hurry. With a sigh, the boy pinched the bridge of his nose, "That's why I told her not to drink that jumbo island punch…"

Seeing as those two will take a while in finding a restroom, the boy decided that searching for a bench to sit on would be wisest. With another sigh, he rubbed his left arm and felt a slight sting erupt from it. Wincing, he patted it a bit before settling himself. The injury he had from the explosion at his school was still fresh. Once this was all over, he'll need a proper day off.

"Hold on a second…" Dom sat straight up, his body tensing, "why do I get the feeling I'm forgetting something...?"

"Hey!"

Looking up, the two girls were walking towards his bench, Dia carrying an ice cream cone while the CPU was already eating hers. Taking the ice cream which was being offered to him, the boy stood up and said, "Well? Shall we go home? I think we had enough fun for today, don't you think?"

"Yup!" chirped Neptune between licks, "I'm kinda beat too. Maybe we can go again some other time? It's been really fun!"

The brunette scratched the back of her head as she said, "Well… It _is_ getting late. Alright, time for a tactical retreat people. Showtime's over."

"Oh yeah! Bath time! Dinner!" cheered the Goddess as she clung on Dia's side.

Dom was about to follow them when he saw two strange things. One, a piece of paper fell from Neptune's pocket, and two… the Goddess… turned transparent for a moment. Blinking hard, the boy dismissed this as his imagination as a result of his tired mind. He needed sleep and fast.

"Hey Nep! You dropped thi—" he came to a halt mid-sentence as he kneeled to pick up the paper.

_**BADUMP**_

_**BADUMP**_

"What...?"

_**BADUMP**_

_**BADUMP**_

"Light… What the hell's happening?" Dom stood up and gazed around him. Everyone and everything just… froze. Looking above, the sky was purple and every single person had a gray color on them, as if they were statues from a long forgotten civilization. He glanced at Dia and Neptune, both frozen mid turn to look at him. Waving his hand before their faces gathered no reaction.

It was like time had frozen itself.

"Okay, now this shit is seriously weird…" grumbled the boy as he looked around, his breathing quickening by the second, "Oh crap, what the fuck now, universe? What the hell happened now?"

The paper held within his palm began to glow. This… This was the same paper he found in the area where he met Neptune. This was the same glowing paper back then. How, when… Dom glanced at the frozen Goddess and arrived at a conclusion. She had it all this time.

A few seconds passed, he gulped down the lump forming within his throat and gazed through the blinding light. His eyes widened as words appeared on the formerly blank paper.

_Watch…_

A grunt escaped him as the purple light burst forth. Dom felt something, he didn't know to exactly describe it but it was something mixed between the feeling of cold water running down your throat and a warm aura enveloping one's body. It made the hairs at the back of his neck stand along with forcing his breathing to become strained.

Images, thousands of images ran through his mind like it was a fast forwarded slide show or something. All of them passed by a split second, his mind not being able to process information that quickly to identify it. His head began to ache, thousands upon thousands of pictures cramming themselves into his mind, imprinting themselves and burning into his memory. But it wasn't just that, he voices began to speak to him and echo around him.

Dom fought the urge to pass out and resisted. He struggled to establish his own will against whatever was screwing with his mind. True that he didn't pass out, yet he failed to regain control of the stream. He didn't understand any of it, none of it he could make any sense of.

That is until he heard a voice that spoke clearly compared to the sea of others, and it felt like it was addressing him.

_Help… her… Page… Read… home…_

"Dom?"

The boy looked up to see Dia staring at him with concerned eyes, Neptune at her side giving him the same look. He looked around to see that the people were moving once again and that the air was no longer still. The sky above was a deep shade of vermillion as dusk slowly crept in. His eyes finally fell on the two people before him, still giving him worried looks.

He raised his hand and scratched the back of his head, forcing out a smile, "I-it's nothing… I must be more tired than I thought…"

"Really? You're white as ghost covered in flour!" commented the Goddess.

"Dom, are you sure you're okay?" questioned Dia with a hint of doubt.

"I'm fine, geez," he began to walk ahead, pocketing the paper within his coat pocket, "Let's go home…"

* * *

_Nicolas Notes:_

_Greetings once more dear reader. I do hope you're enjoying yourself. _

_And so another chapter comes to a close in the story of our two protagonists. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, as well as getting stressed out on a number of parts. I don't really have much to say other than I apologize for any grammar errors or spelling mistakes that you may have come across. Neptune's still a hard character to write, yet I did my best._

_Please note that if there's anything I'm missing or doing wrong, please do not hesitate to tell me in the reviews. You may also PM if you wish and as always, i will answer all of your questions to the best of my ability._

_Dango Daikozoku is borrowed from Clannad._

_Black Rock Shooter theme was from Huke and supercell._

_Please don't hit me, I couldn't resist XD_

_So yes. That is all._

_I'll see you all next time._

_YAHOO~_


	5. Chapter 5: The Neptastic Ending

Alone at the depths of the night, a young man was seeking the truth.

The night sky above the apartment complex was clear and cloudless, exposing the shining moon and twinkling stars. As the heavens oversaw the sleepless city, bathed in light, as a determined mind was forcing its gears to turn. Within the apartment, the living room was dark and the only sound that could be heard was the humming of the air conditioner. The dim darkness only cooled the room faster as the seconds ticked by.

A faint shuffling could be heard within the sole bedroom. Let us take a peek, shall we?

The bedroom had a deep blue wallpaper pattern about it, giving it a refreshed look. A single bed lay beneath the window as a wardrobe occupied its foot. Beside it was a brown study table, cluttered with papers, figurines and fallen pen cups. A study lamp glowed at the edge of the desk, casting a faint light all over the room.

"Damn… this is such a pain in the ass," grumbled a voice.

Dom sat at the side of his bed with his head resting on his left fist, gazing at a piece of paper he held out on his right. He still wore the same clothes he had since he went out this morning, the sheer befuddlement he felt made him forget to take a shower. For the last two hours, he has spent his time on nothing but fruitlessly searching the internet for anything useful that would be able to contribute to resolve his predicament. Namely his problem with being an acquaintance with a being from another dimension.

Stretching out his arms, he lazily turned his eyes to his laptop and tapped it twice. He gritted his teeth and let out a sigh of frustration as he collapsed back on his bed.

"Dammit…" he hissed venomously as he glared at his ceiling, "Guess asking help from the forum was a bad idea. No one on the chat would take me seriously too…"

Sitting back up, he stared once more at the blank piece of paper and thought to himself, _That voice… Everyone being frozen… what's the meaning behind it? I need answers… Help, her, Page, read, Home… What could they mean? Just from those I can draw up countless of conclusions…_

The image of Neptune's form going transparent flashed through his eyes.

_Was that really my imagination?_

He glanced back at the paper at his bed and held it up once more. A sigh escaping his lips, he said, "Okay then. I wonder if writing on this thing will activate it, maybe pull some Lord Voldemort crap while I'm at it."

Three seconds passed by and yet nothing happened the paper remained still and unmoving, not even radiating a bright glow. In frustration, Dom tossed it aside and returned to his laptop. Scrolling through page after page, he surfed deep into the web with purpose. It was the same routine he had immersed himself in for the last two hours, all searches he made lead to a dead end. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration before releasing a heavy sigh. This was getting nowhere fast.

"Hey stupid paper!" he snapped, grabbing the paper once more and shaking it silly, "Do something already! Look, I don't have time for this, okay?! Some weird shit happened this afternoon and you and I both know that! Now do something productive and tell me what the flying fuck just happened! Grrr… *Sigh* Well… there goes my sanity. Now I'm talking to a piece of paper…"

_Who's the stupid paper?_

"Eh?"

On cue, said talking paper began to glow as it had at the carnival. Blinding purple light filled Dom's vision up to the point he could barely see anything. When he opened his eyes, the paper was still in his hands. His room, however was no more, instead he was in an empty world, all white devoid of anything in particular. The boy felt a sudden wave of nausea hit him before blinking the sensation away, that's the time where the symbols appeared.

They were purple and unlike anything he had seen before, almost alien. As he trained his eyes on these floating letters, he didn't notice the surrounding landscape change, breaking off into cubes of all sizes. Some of them were white cubs while the others were colored deep purple. Dom peeked over the edge of the cube he was standing on and found an endless void staring back at him, not something he would want to fall off to. It was… so to say, surreal. Something straight out of a science fiction book.

It kind of reminded him of that assassination game, the part where he would go and play at dizzying first person puzzle solving thing. This world bore some resemblance to it, yet different at the same time. Besides, there was this huge metal gate standing a few platforms away from him. His curiosity poked, he got ready to jump only to stop himself mid-way.

"What the hell am I doing?" he asked himself, slapping a palm on his forehead. Following that, he began to look around, it was strange how the world slowly transformed yet he couldn't hear anything. The only sounds which he could hear was his voice as well as the faint brushing noise his skin made with his clothes.

An endless void of white and purple cubes, Dom decided to test his luck and called out, "Hello? Anyone there? Hello?"

No response…

"Well ain't this some jacked up shit…" he grumbled before hearing a mature woman's voice speak behind him.

"I would appreciate it if you watched your language."

"Oh crap!"

Jumping at the sharp tone he had received, Dom almost fell over the edge. Fortunately for him, a pair of tiny hands grabbed him by his collar and pulled him back with considerable strength. Choking a bit, the boy collapsed on his knees as he gasped for breath. That was too close for comfort, who knows what would've happened if he fell. He could've sworn his heart almost burst through his chest; however that was the least of his concern right now. Right, like a normal person could just brush off falling into a void of god-knows-what, still, he had other things that needed his attention, namely his tiny savior.

"Are you okay? I deeply apologize for my rash actions. Please accept my apology. Um, are you hurt?" said the tiny girl in a frantic tone, her large purple robe ruffling as her tiny tie swayed along with her flailing arms.

"I'm fine, thanks…" replied Dom as he held his neck. Closing his eyes, he forced himself to calm down so as to reduce his blood pressure and ease his panicking heart. Though a part of his mind was annoyed that these things were actually happening around him. He then casually added, "More importantly… Were you the one who sent me that message?"

The tiny girl blinked twice in surprise before saying, "Ah! You must be the receiver. I am very grateful that you are here. I have so much to discuss with you, Neptu—"

"Yeah I know, but I got a couple questions of my own. Wait, no, I have a dozen," said the boy, cutting her off mid-sentence, "And I figured you're the only one who could tell me and give some sense to my problem… Histoire…"

Histoire gazed at him for a few seconds as if in shock. Ironic since usually Dom would be the one flipping out in a situation like this, getting taken into an isolated world where there were cube things for platforms and a long drop below. Having the entity startled just by mentioning her name was a new experience for him, not that he disliked it. On whim, he reached out with his right hand and pinched her cheek just to see if she were real. Results were a very flustered book entity jumping in surprise as well as confirming that she was indeed, real.

"I-I see… You are aware of our existence then," she replied in a shaky tone, barely managing to re-establish her composure, "It seems to me that it will make my job easier from here on out. Less time to explain."

"No, there is a lot to explain," countered the boy, keeping his tone as natural as possible, "I'm very, very, veeeeeery confused here. So I'll appreciate it if you do explain. Not that if you mind though."

The book entity shook her head, causing her pig tails to sway with the flow, "No… It is fine. I will do my best to answer all of your questions. I understand how lost you seem to be. I just thought that… well…"

"That I'm used to this kind of stuff?" Dom put in helpfully, "No need to apologize. So, you're the genuine Histoire, huh? Weird, you even got the same voice from the game. One thing that bugs me though, how come you exist? I mean… You're a videogame character. Hell, Neptune's a videogame character. This," he turned to his surrounding and gestured at it with his free hand, "How is this all possible?"

The fairy like girl which sat on her open book, floated towards him, coming to a halt just above the boy's shoulder, "This place is known as the Core of Celestia. A holy ground where Goddesses are born and begin their existence. This is the area where reality is thinnest. Videogame character, you say? I am not surprised. Given the mechanics and way of living the denizens of Gamindustri have, it should be something I would expect. However have you ever given thought of 'What if they were the real ones, and _I'm_ the one who isn't?'"

"I'm not really getting you on the last part," admitted the boy with a confused shake of the head, "What do you mean by that?"

"Parallel worlds or dimensions," replied the fairy like girl, "In one world there is you and your little games, you play and unlock the secrets of their stories as you progress through it, right? Bit by bit, you unlock their stories, come to understanding with their situation and know your character better than anyone, correct? But in the end, that story, that game, is nothing but a work of fiction. Meanwhile, in another world, another person may be playing another game, this time, your life. They see through your birth, your growth, and degradation, however once you come to the end of your life, within their minds it will be nothing more than a work of fiction, very much the same way of thinking as you had in your own world. Do you follow?"

"Kind of…" Dom shrugged his shoulders then, "So what you're saying is that someone, somewhere, thinks my life right now is nothing more than a work of fiction? That none of this is really happening?"

"The boundary between reality and fantasy is thin," explained Histoire, "Out there, there are countless of worlds with their own heroes and heroines. Gamindustri is but one of those worlds, unfortunately, it seemed that fate has decided that both yours and mine converge through a thick headed dense Goddess causing trouble."

Crossing his arms, the boy sat down crossed legged, "Trouble may be an understatement. But still… I may be having one big existential crisis here… I mean... this is a hell lot of information I have to process."

"You seem to be taking this awfully calmly," observed Histoire with a slight tilt of her head.

"Calm? Histoire, the very fact that you exist is enough to drive me crazy," Dom scratched his head and sighed heavily, "but… wow… when I said you explain, you didn't have to drop the 'There-are-other-worlds-more-significant-than-your s' bomb. My head's completely filled with white noise now… If I tell anyone this back at my home, I'll be institutionalized… or I could just pretend that this is just some acid induced dream…"

"Then by all means, pretend this is just a dream," suggested the fairy book, "Do not think about it too much for you'll only hurt yourself. Though at an added note, these worlds are not restricted to videogames."

With a faint groan, Dom nodded, "Right... thanks… It was a mistake on my part asking you such a thing. Wow, so… We're in Gamindustri, huh? This is every Neptunia geek's dream."

Histoire uttered a tiny giggle which she hid behind her hands, "If I may correct you, we are not in Gamindustri. You are very much still in your apartment. You haven't left it at all. Everything you see is just a projection of where I am now. An illusion created by my Page. As I said earlier, we are at the Core of Celestia; this is the only place in Gamindustri where reality is thin enough for me to make contact with you. Think of it as somewhere in between your world and mine."

"Convenient…" muttered the boy as he glanced around, "Alright, so my logic's pretty much in tatters by now and I don't even want to remember what you just explained earlier. I just want to know why Neptune's here and how do I get her back into your world."

The book entity was silent for a moment as if she were choosing her words carefully. Finally, she pursed her lips a bit before responding, "A distortion. A rift between the fabrics of reality sent her there. It was nothing compared to the rift that sent her into my timeline, this one was…so to say… different. Almost otherworldly. To begin with, these distortions bring about them bad omens. They may cause something large scale as natural disasters or something small like a fight between friends. These things could only be purged by performing certain tasks or things… I am very sorry for I have no further knowledge of the subject."

"It's alright," said Dom with a serious look, "We can worry about that later. Now about Neptune…"

"Ah… Well, if I may ask, how is she?" questioned the book entity; she was nervously gripping the edge of her dress.

Deciding to ignore this, Dom answered her casually, "She's fine. Though she could be a handful sometimes, she's mostly all aright, albeit a little lacking in sanity. What's with that look?"

Being caught having a worried expression, Histoire hastily forced a smile on her lips, though this didn't seem to fool the human. Abandoning the attempt to deceive him, she sighed and admitted, "Is she really, okay though? Having lived with her and the other Goddesses, I am very adept in spotting liars. Is there something you're not telling me?"

"Now that I think of it…" the boy rubbed his chin as he dug deep into his memory, "Yeah… There is… A few hours ago, a few seconds before I received your message. Neptune… She turned transparent for a second. I just dismissed it as my imagination, but… From the things I've seen and experienced, I'm convinced to think that it wasn't just in my head… Histoire?"

The tiny fairy being was shaking her head. The boy tensed and reached out with his hand to catch her as her book was slowly beginning to descend, increasing the chance of her crash landing. Once he had caught her, he quickly settled her down on the floor as he knelt beside her. That panicked look she had was becoming more and more worrying by the second.

"Look, now that I've accept this weird shit as the norm from now on, mind telling me what you know?" asked Dom, adding a bit of edge in his voice as he lightly tapped the tiny girl on the head.

"This is bad, this is really, really bad," she repeated while clutching the side of her head.

"What is? You're scaring me here," Dom poked her shoulder to get her attention.

"Neptune's in big trouble," Histoire turned her fearful blue eyes towards the boy, "My message, you received it earlier, yes? Then you know of the Page that allows us to communicate right now. Where is it?"

Surprised at her request, the human reached within his pocket and unfolded the piece of paper. He then placed it on the floor before her, "What do you mean Neptune's in trouble? Is some kind of monster after her?"

"I have never told you the dangers of being a Goddess, no?" said Histoire as she set to work, gazing long and hard at the piece of paper before sliding her tiny hand across it.

"You didn't, we only met tonight, you know?" pointed out Dom as the fairy like being muttered a few incomprehensible words which caused the paper to glow purple.

"A Goddess needs faith in order to live," explained Histoire in a heavy tone, "She needs shares to prolong her existence. So long as the people believe in her, she's close to being immortal. Along with that, she will be capable of using her powers to their fullest potential. Shares are their source of life and power… Without it… they will die…"

"What?!" snapped Dom in shock, the mere revelation was enough to freeze him stiff, "Die? But… How?"

The fairy like being floated upwards as the paper glowed on its own, she stared at him dead in the eye while saying, "Neptune is trapped in your world, a world where the Share System does not exist. A world which practically believes that she's nothing more than a fictional character. If no one believes in her then there will be no shares, if she does not receive shares then…"

"She won't be able to maintain her existence," finished the boy, "Neptune's dying…"

Taking the paper from the ground as the purple glow on it began to die, Histoire added, "That is why you're going to save her."

"Save?! Hold on, just how do you think am I going to save her? I'm just one person, surely that won't be enough to lengthen her life span!" protested the boy as he took a step back from the book entity, "besides, who are you to decide things for me?!"

"I am exceptionally older, wiser, and more experienced in situations similar to this," fumed the tiny girl, shoving the piece of paper into his hands, "You, my dear boy, will save her and that is final."

With a look of disbelief, Dom decided to give up and ask, "Okay your ladyship, how do I save her?"

"You send her back into Gamindustri," replied Histoire, her bright smile back on its place. She was certainly enjoying herself, "Everything you need to know are written on that paper."

"What?!" before the boy could further his protest, said paper in question began to shine in a bright white light, "HEY, YOU CAN'T JUST DO THIS TO ME! I'M NOT YOUR DAMNED LAP DOG, WHY DON'T YOU DO IT!"

"I am very sorry," apologized Histoire, "This is all I can do for now… I am deeply sorry for the inconvenience. You… were never supposed to be caught up in all of this. However by doing this, I will be forever in your debt."

"HELL YEAH YOU ARE!" roared Dom, his rage more apparent now, "HEY! I'M GOING TO GET YOU FOR THIS, YOU HEAR ME?! THIS IS GOING TO BE A HUGE PAIN IN THE ASS SO YOU BETTER GET READY!"

"Oh, it seems that I haven't gotten your name," giggled the book entity as the light began to consume everything.

"MY NAME'S ADRIAN DOM, REMEMBER IT SINCE THAT'S GOING TO BE YOUR GRIM—"

Dom's eyes flew open, only to have his sight greeted by his ceiling, "—Reaper…"

A dream? Too realistic. He sat up at the edge of his bed and let out a shaky breath. In his hand was the same paper from before, though this time there was something different. Paragraphs written in glowing purple ink filled the paper. Just as he was about to read them though, the words slowly began to fade away as if someone was erasing them. All he could do was watch as they disappeared on by one until there was nothing left but a blank page.

However it didn't seem to bother him one bit. He had his answers, he knew the truth, and he knew what kind of danger Neptune was in. The longer she stayed in this world, the riskier things could get. Finding Neptune would be no problem. Getting her to cooperate would be one thing, however…

"What do I do about Dia?" he muttered as he collapsed back on his bed.

* * *

"So… That's one serving of lamprey and some cola, that'll be two hundred yen!"

"Dammit, I swear you're charging too high."

The smell of cooking food floated in the air, inviting a couple of people near the stand. The sun gazed the busy metropolis below as its residents went about their daily lives. It was the weekend so a lot more people are out than usual seeing for classes are usually over by lunch time. Teenagers and adults alike strolled through the park either in business suits or casual clothes, despite their differences most of them seemed to be in a light mood.

At the side of the main path of the central park was a grilled lamprey stand tended to by a youth wearing a dark indigo jacket and an apron, serving customers with a smile. Standing by the stand was another young man in an olive green hoodie with a black shirt underneath, he was taking his time eating his lamprey as his friend took care of the customers. The sheer plainness of his clothing didn't make him stand out like the rest of the male population these days. A few guys in Tokyo couldn't help but show off some times.

Dom blew on his food a bit before munching on it, drinking a bit from the can on his other hand as he did. A refreshed sigh escaped his lips shortly after this, "Man, that tasted good…"

"Let me guess, you were too lazy to cook, huh?" guessed Nick as he cleaned his eels.

"Give me a break," grumbled the other boy while giving the crowd a bored look, "I'm quite surprised myself I'm not in a mental asylum yet."

The vendor blinked three times in confusion before he gave his customer a half-hearted shrug, "Being a teenager's hard you know. It's the platform to adulthood. But seriously, man. You're, as what you say, a rich bastard. You don't need to work your ass off like me here to eat. Problem must be serious if it's stressing you out."

"You have no idea— Hold on, what the hell were you implying on the first bit!" snapped Dom, pointing an accusing finger at the vendor.

"I wasn't saying you were a lazy butt monkey or anything," said Nick nonchalantly.

"YOU JUST DID!"

"What did I say?"

"THAT I'M A BUTT MONKEY!?"

"Wow… I never knew," Nick's eyes widened in amazement while a vein on the other boy's temple looked ready to pop in anger.

Dom released as sigh and placed the side of his cola can on the side of his head to cool off, "Dammit…"

"Don't worry buddy, we're one step closer to becoming a famous gag duo," encouraged the lamprey owner as he placed his eels on the grill. He crouched down to open a compartment at the side of his stand, "Now if you could just repeat the 'butt monkey' part on this microphone."

"CAN WE DROP THIS GAG ALREADY, IT'S NOT FUNNY ANYMORE!" yelled Dom with his hands in the air, causing a few people to look.

"Sure, sure," replied Nick with a shrug, "So… Why are you here again? You look like the sort of bum to crawl toward his male friend for advice. You and Dia fought or something?"

"Nope, we fight all the time," said the other boy in a heavy tone, "It's always resolved with either me being physically hit by something hard or her quashing my logic with her bare hands."

"Women…" muttered the vendor before turning his attention back at his friend, "So, what did you need? You just gonna stand there all day or what?"

The male protagonist closed his eyes and rubbed his chin. How was he supposed to ask help from someone that has no idea of his predicament? He gave the vendor a once over before returning to his thoughts. This guy… couldn't be trusted. He would sooner call the asylum on Dom before anything could be explained.

"Oi, you're thinking of something bad, aren't you?" guessed Nick with a dark glare, making the other boy flinch. He hit the nail on the head on that one.

"Nope," denied Dom with a wave of his hand before setting his gaze back on the crowd, "Well… I know this might be a bit crazy but hear me out okay? What if… just what if something that shouldn't exist… suddenly dropped in front of you and laid claim to be something unbelievable? What would you do? How would you react to it?"

"You're being awfully cryptic there," commented the vendor as he served a family of three, "Fine, I'll humor you then. If something like that were to happen, I'll probably be skeptic at first sure. But that doesn't mean I won't believe that person once proof has been given. I'll probably give that person shelter, food, and clothing, be a good Samaritan, no? Though I'll have second thoughts if it's an animal or something."

_Just like what I did…_ thought Dom, "Yeah, probably what a guy like you would do… But seriously, even after proving you wrong about all of your beliefs and things you were taught since you were a child, would you still see that person as normal. Won't you be afraid?"

"Dude," whistled Nick with a small smile, "I have no idea what you're going through now, but I think there's nothing to be afraid off in the first place. You won't get anywhere by just being scared. Sure the possibility of housing a Lovecraftian horror would be quite the experience, but sometimes you just have to plunge head first into things and never look back. That's how the world goes. In the end, you're doing the right thing in helping that person learn more of how this world works. That's all the matters."

"Even when there are consequences?" added the other boy as he drank the contents of his cola, "Even when a heavy responsibility's shoved into your face just like that?"

"Especially then!" exclaimed the vendor, raising his spatula into the air, "When someone gives you that kind of responsibility, it means that whoever did that trusts you and has confidence that you'll carry out whatever it was tasked to you. Seriously, I wouldn't leave you to tend to this stand if I knew that you weren't capable of protecting it."

The former had nothing to say to that. Apparently the guy's words gave him a lot to think about. The task given to him was easy enough just take Neptune and send her home. But applying it, that would be hard, apparently he had to explain this to Dia somehow. Maybe she would understand, maybe she won't. But the point is once that girl had something, it would be hard wrenching it away from her.

He had to play it cool then, or else something bad would happen. The last person he'll want to piss off for real would be that girl.

"Oh and by the way," added Nick with a smirk, wrapping a lamprey within an aluminum foil and tossing it towards him, "It only goes to show that you're unlike the others. That you're different, but man. If you don't want to do something crazy now, then why not tomorrow or the week after? Do things at your own pace and don't rush it, mmkay?"

_This guy…_ Dom cracked a smile of his own as he tossed his wrapped lamprey up and down, "All that big talk just for me, huh? When you say you're going to humor me, you weren't kidding. And here I thought you were just that guy who's weak in math."

"Well if need anything else, you know where to find me," said the jacket boy as Dom began to walk away, "No? See you next time then."

_Doing things at my own pace, huh?_ Thought the other boy as placed his hands in his pockets; _Well it won't hurt to try._

* * *

And so he did things his way.

The day he spoke to Nick would have been the third day after Neptune's arrival into the Real World. Shortly after his meeting with the jacket boy, Dia called him for another tour around the city due to the little CPU's insistence. Despite his internal protests, he forced himself to join them; it wasn't like he had anything to do anyway. The rest of the day went along smoothly until they said their farewells once more and returned to their respective homes, the Goddess still staying at Dia's.

For the next three days, the three of them fell into this routine. Dom would wake himself up earlier than normal and eat breakfast despite having no school, that's all before he would take a long walk towards his best friend's residence where the two girls would be waiting. Dia would tell him off for being untidy while Neptune would bounce around with her boundless energy. After that the trio would set off.

During these days, he came to a better understanding on how deep the relationship his best friend had to the CPU. They were like best friends too; they were fond of the arcade, scenic places and such. It kind of amused him on how much Dia smiled whenever Neptune was around. He too had to admit, with the Goddess sticking with him and his friend, the world seemed to have gained color. Neptune's enthusiastic personalities as well as eccentric traits were a handful, leading both Dom and Dia into a few trouble throughout their days.

On the fifth day of her stay, the Goddess had nearly beaten the best players in a 2D fighting game. The arcade the trio was staying in was packed all of a sudden as everyone witnessed the epic battle. In the end, Neptune eventually lost due to hunger, but not before shaming the Big Four of the local area in gaming. Some even revered her as the 'Goddess', ironic since they had no idea on how close they are to the truth.

On another note, the purple head herself seemed to be enjoying her days very much. It seemed like her favorite place in the whole of Tokyo was the little playground for kids near the central park. Most of the trio's time was spent there since Neptune had come to a liking to the local kids. As he sat with a dozing Dia on a nearby bench, he saw how much of a kid the CPU really was. Was it really a good idea leaving the fate of a whole nation to a person as childish as this girl? Sure, she could be older than she looked, but in the end she was still nothing more than a child.

He didn't really get how that girl maintained the same level of energy and vigor despite the amount of responsibilities she had on her shoulders. That was when he remembered Histoire being mostly the one taking care of the office work of the Goddess. Dom suddenly felt pity for the tiny fairy girl.

But as the days flew by, he was slowly growing more and more worried. The boy didn't know if anyone else could see it, but the number of times he has witnessed the CPU turn transparent had increased at an alarming rate. Dia was certainly oblivious to it, he just didn't know if Neptune was aware of it too. The times it would happen would be random, either when they were walking around, eating at a fast food joint, or just lazing about. Whenever she did turn transparent, it wouldn't be more than a second before she would turn back to her normal self.

Dom would've been more carefree if it weren't for that. It was like it was a reminder for him about his job.

It was either he acted then or keep waiting. He didn't know for how long, but he was itching to send Neptune back. It was hard though, seeing his best friend and the Goddess interact, even he would feel horrible if he were to separate them. It felt like delaying the inevitable even further was going to make things worse; sooner or later he'll need act.

At the sixth morning of Neptune's stay however, the universe got sick and tired of his indecision and decided to give him a little nudge.

"You're leaving her with me?" asked Dom, a frown on his face as he sipped his coffee. Before him was a frantic Dia with her head bowed low, a long thin bag slung over her shoulder.

"It came out unexpectedly, so I didn't have any choice! Please I just need you to look after her for nine hours and then I'll be back!" she pleaded, stealing a glance at the boy whom still had the frown on his face. Aside from that, he remained unreadable to her so who knew what he was thinking.

Finally, with a defeated sigh, he said, "Alright, I'll look after her. It couldn't be helped since this is something big. You sure your school really needs you for this, I mean, asking you to take a train all the way to Kyoto for a tournament is kind of…"

"Thanks!" squealed Dia, grabbing the boy's hand and shaking it enthusiastically, "It's a miracle that they had me listed as a reserved player! I just got the call at three in the morning!"

"Sounds like a pain in the ass to me," grumbled Dom as the girl let go. He then said, "I'll be taking her out to the city as usual. I have enough cash on me so we'll probably attend your tournament later. I'll give you a call if we're there."

"Huh? If you're going to watch, then why not just come with me?" asked the brunette in a confused manner.

"She'll distract you, besides you have, what? Six hours of practice just before the big hour?" replied the boy as he took another sip of his coffee, "Well what are you waiting for? Get going already!"

"R-Right!" the girl scrambled out of the kitchen and went to the living room, leaving Dom alone with his morning paper and coffee.

Of all times that Dia's archery club would call her. It was careless of them not giving her a call a week before so that she can properly train herself, right also when a Goddess was in her house too. Their timing could never be so perfect. A sigh escaped the boy's lips as his bored gazed travel through the newspaper articles. Handling Neptune wouldn't be a problem since he knew how she acted, all he had to do was divert her attention into something else for a while and keep her happy.

He sometimes envied her simple minded thinking.

The sound of a door closing echoed throughout the house, signaling Dia's departure. At that, Dom placed his paper down and drank the last of his coffee. It was time to wake a Goddess up.

* * *

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"Will you shut up already!"

Neptune clamped her mouth shut at the boy's venomous snarl. Her shoulders were trembling just from being sent the darkest glare she had ever since in her long life, not even Blanc could produce such a threatening aura. She swallowed hard and licked her dry lips; she could feel her knees shaking. In front of her was her supposed caretaker for the day, grumpy and obviously very, very mad. She didn't mean to kick him in the face and toss him into a wall; she just thought some weird pervert was going to do some nasty things to her.

It was all an accident, right?

She flinched as Dom came to a halt and rubbed his sore cheek. The Goddess watched as he sent another deadly glare at a couple of people staring at him before walking once more. Apparently having a girl with an odd hair color following him around while sporting a very sore cheek wasn't doing him any good. At the back of her mind, Neptune thought of things that would possibly redeem her in the boy's eyes; however something told her that her ideas would only bring more harm than good.

Her eyes turned left and right as the colorful shops caught her attention once more. Back home in Gamindustri she could have a few credits as pocket money courtesy of Histoire, however in this world she was close to broke since she didn't know the currency and was still confused on how a few things worked. There were so many things she wanted to buy in this place yet lacked the courage to ask Dom for a few bills. Sure he was human and could be very mean at times, but she didn't like getting yelled at by him.

The two of them strolled around Akihabara once more for the fourth time that week. Apparently, seeing as it was glorified shopping district, there sure a lot of shops to go into and purchase items.

"Wowzers! Hey Dummy, what's that?" asked the Goddess while tugging at the boy's arm. His attention wrenched from his thoughts, he was forced to look at the direction the girl's hand was pointing.

"That's an art corner," replied Dom in a neutral tone. He crossed his arms as he continued to elaborate, "just by its name it's a place for… Art. People usually go there to buy ceramic figures to add color to their houses. You can also buy painted decorations there if you're too lazy to make your own. It used to be popular to the kids a few months ago since they can color there, but now it only gets a few customers. What are you thinking?"

"I wanna try it!" declared Neptune while jumping up and down.

"Fine, just don't break anything fragile," reminded the boy as he handed her the money for the fee, "I'll go get us some food. Stay. There. Do not talk to strangers or else Dia will have my hide, do you understand?"

"Yes daddy," teased the girl before skipping her way to the corner, leaving Dom behind. Once she arrived there, she paid the nice young man the fee and was given her own apron and art set. She also got to pick which figure she wanted to add some color to; this part was a bit difficult since what she would be painting would be a gift for Dom. It had to be special.

Fortunately one in particular caught her eye and made her smile. With that she went to work.

…..

….

…

It took her a maximum of twenty minutes, but through her hard work, her little project was finally finished.

"Oh my, that's a wonderful house you got there," complimented a young man who worked at the Art Corner, "A gift for your friend?"

"Yeppers! I made this baby extra special," boasted Neptune while lifting her tiny house, "It's an apology gift that's why! A true work of art if I do say so myself."

The young man gave her a nod before walking away to tend with the other painters. Setting down her tiny house, the Goddess examined her handy work with sparkling eyes. Giving the walls of the house a deep violet color went perfectly with the lilac roof and yellow windows. It was a tiny two floored model of a house with a flower shop at the front; she even affectionately gave it the name of 'Neptune's shop'. Surely with this she would be able to apologize to Dom for kicking him.

She huffed in satisfaction before taking off her apron and looking intently at her hands. After washing her hands, she took her work and presented it to the same young man earlier and said that she would be taking it out now. Waving good bye to the corner owner, she found Dom walking towards her with a bunch of snacks hidden within a couple of plastic bags. Carefully carrying her work near her chest, the Goddess ran towards the boy with a bright grin. She hoped he was ready to be blown away by her hidden artistic skill.

"Dummy! Look what I made!" she called out, waving her free arm to get his attention.

And then she tripped. This was followed by the sound of china breaking.

Lucky for her she managed to fall on all fours just before impact, her house wasn't so lucky. So to say, it was completely shattered; it was barely even recognizable other than being a dusty pile of used paint and fragments. All Neptune could do was stare at it as the world seemed to slow. Her hard work, gone just like that.

"Hey, you okay?" called a voice, followed by Dom rushing at her side to help her up, "Are you hurt anywhere? Hey!"

Keeping her head low, she pointed trembling finger at her broken work before looking up at him with teary eyes. Like a broken hearted child she began to tug wordlessly at the boy's sleeve while keeping her finger fixed at the fragment pile. With a sigh, the boy approached the CPU's broken master piece and gathered what he can from it. Around him, it didn't seem like people took notice of what was happening, not like he cared though.

"You made this?" he asked as he presented a chunk of the roof and the cracked logo of the demolished replica. All he got from the mute Goddess was a stiff nod of the head. Dom then placed a hand on her head and ruffled her hair, "Thanks. Hey, you don't have to cry. Look, I've got snacks over here, you must be starving.

Maybe looking after her was going to be harder than he expected.

* * *

Time flew fast and before the two knew it, it was already time to go. Dia's tournament would be on after two hours, cue for Dom to drag Neptune to the nearest train station headed for Kyoto. It seemed like after filling her stomach, the Goddess had reverted back into her happy and peppy self in contrast with the gloomy aura she emitted a few hours earlier.

It shouldn't be long before they reached their destination. The CPU positioned herself at the window as she stuck her face on it, staring out at the fast moving scenery as the sun raced across the sky. This kept her busy for the first fifteen minutes of the trip before she got bored and settled for staring at the boy in front of her. As always, Dom was deep in his thoughts as he stared into a blank space. Neptune wondered why he was always so serious all the time.

"Hey Dummy, where do babies come from?" she asked innocently.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU ASKING NOW?!" exclaimed Dom with a disturbed look on his face.

The boy scratched his head as he grumbled something under his breath. An awkward silence loomed over head as he noticed that the Goddess was still staring at him, "Okay, I'm sorry for yelling. There's no need to stare like that."

Neptune's stare turned into a pout as she crossed her arms cutely, "Geez, what crawled up in your pants and died? You're stiffer than a crappy broomstick."

"It's… just one of my problems," replied Dom as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He glanced at his side as the CPU went to his side of their compartment and sat next to him.

"You wanna talk about it?" the Goddess had this stupid grin on her face that the boy found annoying.

A chuckle escaped his lips as he turned away from her, much to the girl's confusion. Once he was finished he looked back at her and said, "It's something boring. You'll sooner fall asleep before I'm finished."

"I can take it!" assured Neptune while patting her chest. This however went ignored as Dom placed his attention by feigning sleep, much to the Goddess' annoyance. At that, she went back to her side of the compartment and resumed her staring at the racing landscape.

"Never knew you were the sympathetic type," muttered the boy, diverting the purple head's attention to him, "well that's one thing that I don't know… Say, can you tell me about your Gamindustri?"

"Eh?" uttered the CPU while tilting her head. The world outside the train went dark as they entered a tunnel, the girl then added, "My Gamindustri?"

"I know three different Gamindustri," explained Dom, opening his eyes and looking at her, "But there's your Gamindustri. I want to know what kind of world it is from Lady Purple Heart herself. And who better can explain it other than you?"

"Um… Well…" Neptune bashfully scratched the back of her head before an idea struck her. She sat straight and formed a smile while raising her index finger into the air, "DING! Lookie here buster, I'm not much of a PhD on my world, but what I can tell you is that it's awesome!"

Raising an eyebrow, the boy gestured her to continue, "That's a start. Tell me more."

"Well there's Nep Jr. my cute little sister! She makes some kickass pancakes and dishes out the mooks like a boss! She and yours truly used to ruled Planeptune of the future after we sent Arfy six feet under," continued the Goddess with a bright smile, her feet swaying back and forth off her seat.

Something told Dom that the Goddess was only getting warmed up as she added, "I got sucked in some weird timey wimey hole and got stuck at Gamindustri of the past. There I teamed up with Plutie and beat up some bad guys. I ran into a lot of problems along the way but they all went away when they saw how awesome I am. It was pretty lonely back then, until I met Noire. That Noire's kinda weird since she was Noire but not Noire at the same time you know? Oh and I think her belly button was cute. Oh, oh! Before that, me and Plutie met up with Blanc! She acted like a sore toe at first but I got her to smile eventually. And then there was Vert!

Man, she went her way and dueled us. We showed her who were the bosses were and beat her, she gets better though. After a while, Gear-chan showed up and we were all very happy. But you know, we still haven't beaten the Big Bad yet and her evil organization. So it's up to us to save the world again. We ran around saving lolis, beat up more mooks, leveled up and turned into the big damned heroes. It was the life. It was really fun. Ah, I forgot to tell you that Plutie's HDD is badass 'nuff said. You see, we looked for a way to get back home but found none. So we had no choice but to stay you see. Even then, after everything was resolved, everyone got along just fine.

Well there was that time when copies of everyone I knew went to that place. Man, can you imagine dealing with two Noire's? Or maybe two Blanc's? Weird, but really funny at the same time. We went to picnics, ate together, played games together and had fun. A day never went without everyone getting together just for the heck of it. The Histy there was nice too, and IF was a baby along with Compa… My best friends…"

Dom blinked twice as the CPU's voice trailed off into silence. He reached within her pocket and took out a handkerchief, offering it to her while saying, "Hey Nep... You're crying…"

"Wha?" surprised at his statement, Neptune didn't realize that crystal clear tears were streaming down her cheeks. It didn't seem like she realized she was crying and was simply staring at the handkerchief within the boy's hand. A moment later she took it and clumsily wiped her eyes, "S-Sorry if you saw something embarrassing. I can't go around being a big fat cry baby… you know?"

"You miss them, it's only natural…" replied Dom without looking at her, his eyes were settled at the view of the world outside his window, "You do miss them… right?"

"Yes… I miss them very much…"

* * *

Evening came and it was already around eight o' clock when the three main characters arrived back home in good spirits. Dia took home with her the third place for the archery tournament and won herself a badge for it. Neptune and Dom arrived fifteen minutes late at the tournament grounds yet managed to see through the brunette's game until the very end. It was a miracle in its self that she got third place, having only practiced for the last five hours non-stop.

She told her two companions that she gave her coach an earful for being so careless, earning her a number of apologies as well as some free ice cream. Despite yelling at her coach and captain, it was a big surprise that she was still on the team. As to why was beyond the Goddess and the boy, the brunette was probably that important. Nevertheless, she was her school's saving grace. Extracting her from her loving teammates was harder than going against a stampede.

Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration. Point was that they arrived home safe and sound with the intent to celebrate. And celebrate they did.

"Is it really okay letting her buy at the convenience store alone?" asked the boy as he readjusted his party hat and blew on his plastic trumpet. He glanced at Dia whom was at the kitchen as he flicked through channel after channel in the living room, "I mean, wouldn't she get lost?"

"Don't worry, she knows what she's doing," Dia casually replied as she was busy baking a cake dedicated to herself. This was merely one out of eight she made for Neptune related purposes. A good soldier was prepared for any battle, and so was she, "I gave her a crash course on how to get around the area. Getting to the convenience store's much easier than exploring a dungeon you know?"

Dom said nothing as he kept pressing the remote's button.

"Neptune asked me if we could go shopping tomorrow," continued the brunette as she went about the kitchen, "There's this game she had her eyes on yesterday. We thought it would be fun to bu ya couple more things before heading to your place. I mean, it is okay if we can stay there, right? We'll just borrow your console so we can play it, that's okay, hm?"

"Uhuh," muttered the boy as he set aside the remote while the television showed the news. Seemed like classes at Saigyozi will be postponed until the damages were repaired, not that he cared. The less classes the better. It was barely a month away until summer vacation anyway. The weather forecast was explaining the arriving rainfall that evening when a body suddenly got in front of his eyes. Raising an eye brow, Dom looked up to see Dia crossing her arms while looking down at him.

"You're awfully quiet," she commented in monotone, "Something in your mind?"

"Perceptive aren't you?" replied Dom in the same tone, "the weather's on, mind standing aside a bit?"

With a sigh, the girl did as she was told, yet she remained more or less near him as she said, "I know that look in your face. If there's something wrong, you can tell me."

"We can't keep her forever, D" admitted the boy, keeping his tone light and casual. However the effect of his words managed to make the brunette step back. He decided to continue with, "You and I know that."

"What do you mean?" asked the girl, the light hearted atmosphere slowly draining away from the house.

"It's already bad as it is that she's attached to you," said Dom as he crossed his arms and looked at his best friend dead in the eye, "Making her stay any longer will only hurt her. I know how to get her back into her world, but I'll need your help since she's grown fond of you, you know?"

"Hold on a second, a way back?" said Dia in a confused manner, "You found a way back for her? How? When? Where?"

"Three days ago," answered Dom, "You've played Neptunia before, right? So you're probably familiar with Histoire."

"The tome fairy?" asked the brunette with a frown on her face. It seemed like she doubted her friend's claims.

"Yup," confirmed the boy, not missing a beat, "spoke to her three days ago. She explained to me how this stuff is actually happening around us and why. Turns out that there's a something wrong with Reality and that thing started screwing things up with the dimensions. That's how Neptune got here and this," he took out a piece of folded paper from his pocket and displayed it, "is her ticket back."

"Are you sure?" questioned Dia, giving the paper in the boy's hand a look of suspicion.

"I'm quite positive," he sighed heavily as he pocketed the paper, "Problem now is whether you're okay with this or not and whether Neptune's okay with this or not. Before you can even argue, I'm going to tell you now that it's crucial that we get her home. It was already a mistake from my part letting this go longer than it should."

"And why is that?" said his friend in a challenging tone, "It's not like there's anything wrong with me spending some time with her."

"There is…" pointed out the boy, "See here right now. You've grown attached to her, yes? Then I'm sure she feels the same. But can't you see that Neptune's being torn in to two? She has friends, family and a whole lot of people waiting for her back in her world. She misses them, but she's worried about what you'll feel if she leaves…"

"But I'm okay!" exclaimed Dia, taking two threatening steps towards Dom, whom remained unfazed.

"Still, that's not what she thinks," he countered, "That girl's affectionate with everyone she meets, especially those close to her. She cares about what will happen and is now confused on whom she should pick. Of course the logical choice would be for her to go home, but what will she feel then? She would feel guilty for leaving another friend of hers behind. If it's okay for you, it won't be for her."

Dom sighed once more as he went on, "I'm trying to find the best way to resolve this. But since you're so god damned pushy, there, the cat's out of the bag. That's why I said that it's bad for her to be attached to you this much. She'll only end up hurt…."

It took a while for Dia to answer, swallowing the entire room in a gloomy atmosphere. The television played at the background yet the two remained where they were, avoiding each other's gaze before the brunette decided to break the ice, "Can't… Can't she stay for just a little longer? Just for tomorrow I mean…"

"No, she can't," answered the boy, "aside from her emotional state, her life's also on the line here. Please let me explain. Histoire told me that in order to live, a Goddess must have a sufficient amount of faith from the people they rule. Faith in Gamindustri is also known as shares, and through those shares a Goddess receives their power. That's known as the Share System. In our world however, there is no Share System and no one believes that Neptune is real. The longer she stays here, the more faith she loses. Worst case scenario would be that she would cease to exist due to lack of belief."

"You didn't tell me she was dying," said the girl in shock, placing a hand over her lips.

"That what I've been telling you," said Dom, "That's another reason why she can't stay here. For her own sake, she has to go. She can't stay here forever, you know? She doesn't even belong here in the first place. I think it would be better for us all if things went back to normal… We wouldn't be dealing with this problem in the first place…"

_**SLAM**_

The two friends flinched and turned their heads at the front door. There stood a tiny quaking figure dressed in white and purple. Dom and Dia caught a glimpse of the Goddess' tearful look before she burst through the door once more and into the night, leaving behind the drinks she carried.

Dia rounded up and her best friend whom was still looking at the place where Neptune had been. Gritting her teeth, the brunette yelled, "ADRIAN YOU IDIOT!"

She then followed the CPU outside, leaving the boy collapsed on the sofa. A groan escaped his lips as he slapped his palm over his face as he said, "Dammit… Fuck you universe…"

* * *

Running across the deserted streets, Dia felt the light patter of rain striking her shoulders as she searched fruitlessly for a lost Goddess. She had looked every corner of her subdivision yet she failed to pick up any sign of Neptune. She couldn't find her, not in this weather. All she could do was continue searching; there was no way she was leaving that girl all alone.

She mentally cursed Dom for his big mouth. This wouldn't have to happen if he wasn't throwing his words so carelessly. She made a mental note to beat him up should she ever find Neptune. Running past the convenience store for the fifth time, the girl came to a halt to catch her breath. Fifteen minutes have passed, yet she couldn't find heads or tails of Neptune's whereabouts.

Shaking fatigue from her mind, Dia released a shaky breath before running once more. Rain fell from the sky, slowly increasing in intensity yet she ignored this. Despite having her blouse and skirt soaked wet, the girl braved the freezing droplets in search for her friend. Thoughts ran across her mind as she ran below the orange glare of the street lights. Now that she thought back on it, what Dom said was true, She hadn't considered Neptune's departure to be inevitable.

It was stupid for her to think that these days would last forever; maybe she was blinded by the colors the Goddess brought along when she arrived in her life. She made a friend and that friend became very dear to her in a short amount of time. That person was someone Dia wouldn't let go easily, since they were special. If it were under normal circumstances, she would've defied Dom's arguments with her own, but… this was anything but normal. The person that had grown attached to her was a Divine Entity from another dimension, someone who had people waiting for her on the other side.

The brunette placed a hand on her arm as she slowly came to a stop. Before her was an intersection leading four ways. Was it wrong for her to befriend someone else? Was it a mistake that she and Neptune had fun? She didn't know, it confused her. Did anything she do for the past week, spending time with the CPU, playing, cooking, baking, touring the city… were all those nothing more than mistakes?

"Hey, wait up!" called a voice form behind her, followed by the sound of splashing footsteps.

"What do you want?" snarled the girl as she turned around to see her best friend holding an umbrella, looking utterly exhausted from the running.

"I'm here to help," answered Dom between shaky gasps. He grabbed another collapsible umbrella from his hip and tossed it to his friend, "Two people are better than one, you know? This my fault too and I;m not about to leave that idiot running around in the rain."

Dia stared at the umbrella in her hand before shoot the boy a sharp glare, "Why do you even care? If you hadn't got carried away with your bullshit this wouldn't have happened! Do you really dislike her that much?! You're the worst…"

"I know," muttered the boy, his face remaining indifferent, "But dislike her. I never disliked her in the first place. Sure, I get angry, annoyed, and irritated. But dislike? Dia, Neptune's impossible not to like. I'm here to help fix my mess. I should be the one searching for her, you should get home or you'll catch a co—"

He felt a strong force grab his collar, only to realize that the brunette just grabbed his shirt and stopped him in mid-sentence, "We're in this together. Stop being so pitiful, it doesn't suit you. You're gonna make me puke."

Surprised, Dom was released from his best friend's grip and watched as her glare turned into a gentle smile. Not knowing what to do, he overcame his shock and let out a chuckle as he shook his head in disbelief. Another weird girl he had to deal with, however this one he already knew how to manage.

"Alright here's the plan," said Dom as he walked to the girl's side, "You go check the detours and alley ways while I search the main roads. She couldn't have gone far, not in this rain."

"But that'll make things hard for us too," pointed out Dia as she squinted to see through the thick curtain of water, "You sure we can do this?"

"We won't know if we don't try," muttered the boy. He then raised his hand to the right and said, "I'll go this way, go as planned. Neptune only knows what goes around this area so she'll probably stick to places she knows well. Make sure to search landmarks or places she showed interest in, it won't hurt to check them too. We'll go for an hour, after that we meet back here and call the authorities. We'll only call the cops as a last resort since I don't want her to go HDD by being panicked."

"One hour. We'll find her in one hour," repeated the brunette before running off into her direction. Dom watched her disappear through the rain as he let out a sigh. The Goddess hunt starts now.

…..

….

…

No luck. It was hopeless. An hour had gone by like a speeding car yet the CPU was still nowhere to be seen. The boy cursed under his breath as he circled his chosen path for the sixth time. No sign of her at all. He went as far as knocking on peoples' doorstep and asking them if they seen anyone with purple hair run by. A couple of pricks slammed the door in his face while the others were more cooperative and said the truth.

He went back to his meeting place with Dia with a heavy feeling on his shoulders. There was this twisted thought at the back of his mind that he put all of his willpower not to think of. He couldn't find her, no matter what he did or where he looked. Fishing his phone out of his coat pocket, he checked if Dia found anything.

No new messages.

Time to call in the cops.

"Eh?" Dom let his thumb hover above his phone's buttons as he noticed a faint glow coming from within his pant pocket. Putting his phone away, he reached within and pulled out Histoire's page. It cast a weak purple light which surrounded the boy. His breath left him as he watched in amazement as a transparent bubble of some sort formed around him. He collapsed his umbrella and found that despite the heavy rain, he was remained completely dry.

"Well what do you know, it's magic," he told himself as he took a step forward. Unsurprisingly, the bubble followed his movements, though glowed a bit fainter than before. With a frown, he took a step to back and found that it was shining just a bit brighter than when he moved. A crazy idea formed within his mind as he moved further to his left. The bubble shined brighter.

He started out with a few more cautious steps, when he realized that his idea was working, Dom began to run before finally breaking into a sprint. The barrier/bubble only shined brighter as he moved, it didn't seem like the light was glowing outside of the bubble. When he stole a glance at the droplets, they didn't reflect the light his barrier was emitting. Not that he care though, all he knew was that he had to make this bubble thing shine.

The boy missed a turn and ran too far ahead, causing the light around him to fade. Gritting his teeth, he went the other way where his bubble glowed once more. As he ran through the deserted streets, the more the area became more familiar to him. He actually had to stop once or twice due to a passing car. He also noted that other people couldn't see the barrier around him or find out that he wasn't affected by the rain.

To his right he passed by a familiar park, that's where it all started. Keeping his eyes ahead, he continued running. Suddenly, the bubble popped and the rain came crashing down on him. Swearing loudly, Dom stuffed the paper in his pocket once more to keep it from getting wet. He opened his umbrella once more and looked around, he had no idea what caused the barrier to break but it felt like he just passed by his target.

That's when he saw her. Neptune was walking ahead of him, her arms wrapped around herself as she placed on foot ahead the other. Her shoulders were trembling while her fingers were white from the freezing rain. She had her back turned at Dom, so he couldn't really see her face.

Running towards her, he grabbed her shoulder and said, "Oi, what the hell are you—"

_**BEEEEEEEEEEEP**_

A speeding car passed by in front of the Goddess, barely missing her by inches if the boy hadn't grabbed her.

"Hey! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!" snapped Dom as he grabbed the girl by her shoulders and made her face his way. He was caught off guard by the sight of her face, she was still crying. Releasing her shoulders, he slowly backed away from the girl who seemed to be at her limit. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying while her knees threatened to collapse any moment now.

And then she began to sob.

The boy felt like a rusted old dagger just pierced him. This was the first time he made a girl this sad to the point of weeping in the middle of a street while raining. He wasn't happy with this, not one bit. He wanted her to stop ye he had no idea how. He felt horrible, disgusted with himself. Thinking back on the words he threw around, he could understand Dia's reaction back then. If it was someone else, he would get mad and hit that person. But if that person was him, he still felt the same; he wanted to hit himself for his idiocy.

His eyes widened as he realized that it had stopped raining. The two of them stood there, the Goddess continued to cry while the boy stood a few feet away from her. He didn't know what to do so he remained silent. It hurt to hear her cry, it was so… wrong… This wasn't how he viewed this girl. Not even in the game did she shed a single tear. Was it because the Neptune he knew back then was nothing more than a pretty voice and a clever drawing? Was it because her story never had her cry once?

_This isn't a game…_ he thought through gritted teeth. Dom forced himself to move until he was in front of the CPU, "Hey listen."

Neptune stifled her sobs and rubbed her eyes. She placed her trembling hands on either side of her as she looked deep into the boy's eyes while asking, "A-Are you going to yell at me again?"

"No," Dom placed a hand on her head and ruffled her hair, "No… I'm not going to yell at you anymore. I'm sorry. I know I said a lot of harsh things back then. I guess I'm a real bad guy to you now, huh? Just saying sorry won't cut it, if there's anything I can do to make it up to you… All I did ever since you arrived here, I was a jerk. No… that's an understatement. I was an asshole, and I'm free to admit it. I should've believed you when you told me what you were. I should've been nicer to you whenever you annoyed me. Yet I kicked and spat on your attempts like the bastard I am. Dia was right; I really am the worst…"

"That's not true," sniffled the CPU, "You were right too, you know? I don't belong here. That's why… I need to get home…"

"Without saying goodbye?" asked the boy, taking his hand and placing it on his hip, "Even I won't let you go that easily, how much more with Dia? Please don't cry anymore. No one wants to see Lady Purple Heart being a cry baby, right? You have friends, you have an amazing personality, and you're a Goddess to boot. In fact you should've smote me with lightning for making you cry. I envy you. But it's for those traits that people like you. Hell, it's because of those things that I'm giving an arm and leg just to find you. If they saw you crying right now, would your friends like it? Of course not. So smile and be happy."

"You know," giggled the Goddess as she wiped tears from her eyes with her hand, "You can sure be sappy when you want to. There's nothing to be jealous of, Dummy… You have Dia."

"I guess you're right," said Dom with a chuckle of his own.

"HEEEEEEEYYYY!"

The two turned their heads down the street just to see a familiar brunette running at full speed towards them. The boy crossed his arms and commented, "You're late. We're friends again."

Before Dia could even come up with a retort, the CPU had already tackled her waist and wrapped a pair of strong arms around her. With the wind within her lungs knocked out of her, the elder girl did her best to stand up straight through sheer willpower. Speechless at Neptune's sudden embrace, all she could do was rub the little girl's head as she noticed how she was sniffling.

"I've… been… looking all over for you..." wheezed Dia between breaths. She gave her best friend a hopeless look which he returned with an amused shrug.

"Regret seeing this until the end?" said Dom with a smirk on his lips.

"You…wish…." Sneered the brunette as the Goddess' embrace grew tighter, "N-Neptune! You're killing me! Can't….Breathe!"

"Ah!" the CPU yelped as she released the elder girl whom collapsed on the ground, breathing hard. However that was not the reason why she let her go. She looked at her hands in shock and surprise to see that they were becoming transparent, as if she was losing her physical body bit by bit. Looking helplessly at the boy behind her she cried, "Dummy, what's happening?!"

"That's our cue. We're sending you home," he answered as he pulled Histoire's page from his pocket and unfolded it, "I think it's better if you close your eyes…. Now let's see. Ah here it is…"

The two girls slowly stepped away from him as he went about his work. The only thing Dom seemed to have done was to stare intently at the blank paper as if he was reading it, that is before said paper shined with dazzling purple light and flew out of his grasp. The trio gazed at the levitating piece of paper as it shined brighter and brighter until a large pink rip between the fabrics of reality was in its place. Dia and Neptune glanced to their side as they heard someone whistle. It shouldn't be a surprise to know who that someone was.

"Well now," muttered the boy, "I… am officially insane. I guess this is where we part…."

He turned his gaze at the Goddess with a smile. Nodding at his words, Neptune slowly approached the portal, the familiar scent of Planeptune entering her nostrils. Her messy hair flew about as a strong breeze escaped through the pink gate, causing her to shield her face with her arms. Looking back at the two people that cared for her for the past six days, she couldn't stop her tears as they left her eyes once again.

This time… She was smiling as they fell, "Thank you… To both of you… I'll never forget all the fun times we had together."

"Take care kid," said Dom with a wave of his hand.

"It's been fun. I won't forget either," called Dia as she cupped her hands around her mouth.

The Goddess gave them a wave of her own before entering the portal. Light burst through the surroundings until everything was swallowed by darkness once more, save for the tiny bulbs of the street lights. The paper which created the portal was caught by the boy and was stuffed into his pant pocket.

With a heavy sigh, the two protagonists' eyes met one another. They stared at each other for three solid seconds… four… before laughter escaped them. Their faces plastered with stupid grins, they began to make their way back. Both of them were walking as if they were drunk though, however it was more like they were in a daze. This week had just been a tad bit too weird for them.

However… It was all worth it in the end.

"Hey Dia…"

"What?"

"You and Neptune make a great couple."

"Do you want me to kick your batteries again?

"Heh… let's go home…"

_**{NEPTUNE ARC, COMPLETE.}**_

* * *

_Nicolas Notes:_

_Hello and welcome to the final chapter of the Neptune arc. To all those who have been following this story up to now, I can't thank you enough. As always, you can tell me anything regarding this chapter in the reviews section. Honestly, this one was a hard chapter to squeeze out. I had to balance a lot of things, create conflicts and make stupid excuses._

_I can't really say that this chapter was my best but... oh well... I guess I'll have to improve. Anyhow, i hope none of you were confused. I did my best to explain things, crossing my fingers here XD. _

_References, references, lots of 'em here. nah, probably just two. It's up to you guys if you spot them. Just remember they all belong to their respective owners. _

_Uhhh, I don't really have much to say. But this story WILL continue long after this arc. This is but one of the rest of the CPUs so expect Dia and Dom to be back for more insanity and mind screwy sessions. Updates though are still completely random XD. Seriously, I need to work on my other projects first. Oh well... _

_I sure hope I did everything right. I'll see you all next time and watch out for the next CPU._

_Yahoo~_


	6. Chapter 6: Operation Maidgear: ENGAGE!

_**Purple has been splashed over the gray canvas. Let's add a bit more color, shall we?**_

* * *

Rain. Two weeks had passed yet it was still raining. The sky was completely gray as the cold droplets fell from the heavens and dampened the gray asphalt of various buildings and streets. It was like the peaceful weather a week ago was nothing more than a sweet lie for those planning to head out to the beach. Nevertheless, life in the Real World went on as normal. The abnormal weather however was given explanation by the weathermen as an effect of global warming.

It could be one reason, however there might be others.

A lone figure was walking across the deserted streets of a quaint subdivision. It was girl with shoulder length brown hair, draped over her left shoulder as she held up her umbrella. She carried at her side a white plastic bag filled with various vegetables and grocery items. Heading home in this kind of weather sure was troublesome. It seemed to her that the normal days her friend longed for were so boring that she felt like she was going insane. It was more fun and lively when _that_ girl was around.

Quick recap. Two weeks ago under the same gloomy weather, a Goddess had appeared upon this girl's doorstep along with her rain soaked best friend. This girl's name was Dia Alvarez, judging by her looks she was half Japanese, but that's beside the point. On a seemingly normal rainy day, her life became subject to strange events thanks to the appearance of a being from another dimension. Not that it was bad or anything, in fact she enjoyed the Goddess' company more than one would imagine.

In a short period of time, they became friends. Little do they know though, that creating a bond between them would only hurt them in a painful manner. Since she was a being from another dimension, the Goddess couldn't stay long in the Real World without winking out of existence at any given moment. With the way back to her world open and clear for her to take, the Goddess was confused on whether to go or not. In the end, no matter how painful lit was, the two were given no choice but to let each other go.

Dia uttered a heavy sigh while muttering, "What a cheesy movie plot. It makes me want to puke."

…

Anyway, two week has passed since that incident and things pretty much went back to normal. It wasn't exactly how she wanted things to end, but she had no choice but to go with the flow. Since her vacation started three weeks prior, her life has become increasingly boring. Being thrust back into her usual way of living was nothing short of being rude, now she shared her best friend's sentiments regarding the unfairness of the universe.

She silently wondered what she should make for tonight's dinner. That guy would probably show up since he's out of food, so it'll be dinner for two once again. The rain didn't seem like it was going to stop anytime soon, she had to hurry before it got worst. Running through the rain, she rounded around a corner to her left, not seeing a person walk out to meet her. With a yelp, she forced herself to stop, however her momentum was too great and caused her to crash into said person.

The resulting impact knocked her and her victim to the wet ground.

Quickly standing up, Dia frantically said, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! A-Are you hur—… Neptune?"

"Ow… huh? N-Neptune?" stuttered the other girl, her long lilac hair drenched from the rain, "How… do you know my sister?"

"Eh?" caught off guard, the brunette rubbed the raindrops off her eyes to get a clearer view of the girl. Almost way too clear, "Ah! M-Miss! Please, your legs. I could see your underwear!"

"Huh?" the girl blinked before taking note of her sitting position, her face going scarlet to beet red in a second. With a yelp, she immediately stood up and pointed her finger at the other girl, "Y-you didn't see?!"

"What?! O-of course not! You should be more careful!" argued Dia while turning her head away, her ears felt a bit hot. They were white with pink stripes, for the curious. Realizing something, she turned to her victim and said, "Wait! We're both girls, so what's the point?!"

She felt a bead of sweat slide down her forehead as she saw how the lilac haired girl's shoulders were trembling. The girl looked at her dead in the eye with her tear-filled own. In a quivering voice, she whispered, "I- I can't get married anymore…"

_NOT GET MARRIED?!_ Thought the brunette, feeling something within her break. She reached out mid-way to console the girl yet decided against it, "W-Wait hold on! This must be some kind of misunderstanding! That's it! This isn't something we need to be upset about!"

The girl only looked down at her feet with her shoulders still trembling. She replied the other girl's words with, "I'm still kind of an airhead, but please take care of me…"

_WHAT THE HELL IS WITH THIS KIND OF DEVELOPMENT?!_ Dia mentally echoed while out loud she said, "I-it's okay. Um… But... what are you doing out here?"

"Huh?" the lilac headed girl looked around her, not caring if the freezing rain got her wet. Not like it mattered since she was already soaked from head to toe. Resting her gaze back at Dia, she replied, "I'm… kind of lost. Excuse me, but… Where am I?"

The female protagonist blinked twice in confusion, "What do you mean you don't know where you are?"

"I've been walking around for a few hours but no one's told me where I exactly am," explained the girl while placing a hand on her chin and scratching it, "Honestly, you're the first person I've seen in a while."

"Really?" said the brunette with her eyes narrowed, _Sounds… familiar…_

"Mhm! I was just taking one of my morning strolls and—"

"You got sucked in by some weird portal?" finished Dia, hoping for the worst.

"That's it!" confirmed the girl while clapping her hands. She then offered the brunette her right while saying, "we haven't been formally introduced yet. My name is Nepgear, CPU candidate of Planeptune 20XX, Purple sister! I hope we get along!"

* * *

"So… Another one popped out."

"Seems like it."

"This is your problem now, deal with it."

"Help me out dammit!"

A boy wearing a bright yellow collared shirt crossed his arms and sighed heavily. Beside him was Dia, dressed in a pure white shirt and red jogging pants, her brown hair tied in a ponytail as he sat beside her best friend. In front of them, sitting in the seiza position was a pretty young woman with long lilac hair, dressed a light purple sundress while a pink cat accessory decorated her head. Having watched her two hosts arguing like an interesting badminton match, needless to say she was entertained. However if things escalate, she would have to interfere.

After aimlessly walking in the rain for more than two hours, Nepgear was finally taken in by the brown haired girl kind enough to let her use the bath and dry herself, going as far as giving her new clothes. Admittedly, she was embarrassed as to how she was being tended so kindly, however when she tried to voice something out, the brunette merely said that 'everything was alright'. That was thirty minutes ago, right now, she was forced to sit in front of her host when another person arrived.

This was apparently her host's friend, she imprinted in her mind that he was a 'friend' since he and the brown headed girl seemed to be at the brink of killing each other at any given moment. Therefore leading to her conclusion that they weren't romantically involved or whatever. My, this girl's quite perceptive.

"Fine, at least introduce yourself properly," grumbled the boy as he scratched the back of his head, "You did introduce yourself, right?"

"Well… I was more focused on getting her home since she was wet and all," admitted the brunette while sheepishly looking the other way.

"Well aren't you the rude one. That's kidnapping, you know?" pointed out the boy with a mischievous smirk.

"I don't want to hear that from you!" hissed the angrily hissed, "Besides you did as well!"

"Please don't bring that up…" muttered the boy while slapping his palm on his forehead, "I'm still traumatized…"

"Um... excuse me…"

The two friends turned their attention at Nepgear. Said CPU closed her eyes and took a deep breath. A moment passed as she opened her eyes and said, "I think… I need to use the bathroom."

"WHY DO YOU NEED TO BE SO DRAMATIC ABOUT IT!?"

…..

….

…

"Ahh~ Thank you once again," said the Candidate gratefully with a bright smile. Sitting back once more before the boy and the girl she re-introduced herself, "Once more, my name is Nepgear and I come from the world of Gamindustri. I'm from Planeptune by the way, it's a Landmass that's ruled by my sister, Purple Heart but in the other world where I come from it was under new management. My favorite hobby is cooking and I'm fairly good at cleaning and doing chores. I hope we get along."

The brunette stood and offered her hand while saying, "Hello Nepgear, my name is Dia Alvarez. I'm a friend of your sister. I hope we get along too."

"Eh? My sister was here too?" asked Nepgear as she then shook the brunette's hand in greeting, "It was that time when she went missing, right?"

"Apparently, yes," replied Dia with an amused smile, "This world was where she ended up a few weeks ago. I assume that she made it back safely?"

"Yes," said the CPU with a nod, "She told me all sorts of stories but they were too silly for any of the others to believe. I never realized it would be true."

"Well it was quite a shock for us too," the boy spoke up while offering his own hand, "My name is Harry Potter. I'm the Master Magician that sent your sister back."

"It's nice to meet you Mister Potter," greeted the Candidate with a kind smile as she shook his hand.

Pissed, the brunette grabbed the boy in a headlock and slowly increased the pressure around his neck. Flailing around, the boy struggled under the girl's grip as his oxygen supply was cut off yet he found out that her strength was simply too great. In the end, he went limp within her arms, prompting his immediate release. He got better though.

"Dammit Dia, you could've killed me," growled the _Not_ Harry Potter guy, "You didn't have to threaten to snap my neck in half!"

"Then fix your goddamned intro! You're taking too long!" snapped Dia while shooting him venomous glare in the process.

"Fine," sighed the boy, crossing his arms as he stood up, "My name is Bond… James Bo—"

A right hook to the jaw silenced him, causing him to collapse on the sofa, unconscious. The brunette cracked her knuckles as she muttered, "Someone... Somewhere, is going to get sued for this. Dammit Dom." She then turned her attention at the concerned Candidate and assured her, "Don't worry. He'll live. I've hit him much harder than that in the past. Please excuse his stupidity."

"I-it's okay!" replied Nepgear with a nervous smile, "I- I don't really mind."

"You should, this idiot's dangerous, you should stay away from him," warned Dia while giving her best friend a look of disgust, giving his side a prod with her foot.

"I'm still conscious you know?" said Dom in a muffled tone beneath the sofa's soft fabric. He rose up and gave the lilac haired girl a two finger salute, "The name's Adrian. Adrian Dom. Though people mostly call me Dom for some reason. Oh and Dia, please stop giving dark implications about me to people you meet."

"I'll try," answered the girl with a snort. She then turned to the Candidate and said, "Well? I think you're confused about a number of things. If you have any questions, you can ask us and we'll tell you anything!"

"Ah, yes... about that," Nepgear twiddled her thumbs a bit before saying, "Where… am I?"

"You're dead. Welcome to Hell," answered Dom in perfect monotone.

Dia swung her fist into his gut while correcting him with a smile, "Oh ho ho~ Silly Adrian. Quite the joker isn't he?"

"Ah ha ha, yes," the CPU nervously laughed as she glanced at the boy writhing in pain, _Oh my… what violent woman… She certainly reminds me of Iris… In a way… No… Iris was worse…_

"Anyhow. Correcting my idiot friend, you're now in the world known as Earth. This place is a whole lot different than the world you came from," explained the human girl, "You could say that the laws of reality here are different from what you've known. Here, we don't have CPUs or CPU Candidates."

"Excuse me, but, who runs your Landmass then?" asked the lilac haired girl, "If you don't have a Goddess, then whose the person leading you?"

"That's the reason we have politicians, authorities, and the minister," put in Dom while rubbing the back of his head, "They handle the basic needs of the country and help run it. Oh and just as I said, we don't use 'Landmass' in this world. We either use the words 'nations' or 'country'. Dia and I could give you a one hour lecture about it, but I think you got the gist of it by now."

"I see…" muttered the Candidate as she was suddenly deep in thought.

"Oh and by the way. We don't run on the Share System so you could die at any given moment," added the boy with a bright smile.

"D-Die?!" gasped Nepgear in shock, her eyes wide with fear as she covered her mouth.

"Dom you're not helping!" yelled Dia with half of her mind ready to smack the idiot once more, "Remember the last time you shot your mouth off?!"

"What? It's not like she's going to die now. I mean look, she's perfectly healthy. Just give her a few days and we'll have the same problems again," said Dom with an eyebrow raised, "Not that I'll let that happen though."

The brunette then addressed the Candidate in an apologetic tone, "He's kidding."

Much to her surprise, the lilac haired girl giggled, "I know. Just like you said, he's a joker. So… uh…"

"You got something to say, you better spit it out," suggested Dom as he crossed his arms.

"Adrian, be an ass one more time and I'll castrate you with a pinecone," threatened Dia along with an angry glare, to Nepgear she asked, "Something wrong?"

"You see… I don't really know that much about this world," admitted the girl while sheepishly keeping her eyes on the floor, "If… If I may just ask. Can I stay for just one night? I mean, I have money so I'll pay—"

"No," cut off both humans in cold monotone. The brunette gave the boy a pointed look to which he shrugged, causing the girl to sigh heavily while saying, "Look, from now on you will be living her for the remainder of your stay. Food, lodging, clothing, Dom and I will provide everything for you so long as you don't cause trouble. You don't need to pay."

"H-Huh?" Nepgear had a look of confusion on her face as well as faint blush on her cheeks at the two friends' kindness, "B-But why would you go that far for me? I mean, I'm a stranger and all…"

"Kid, the both of us took care of your sister for an entire week," said Dom with a grin on his lips, "And that's when she was trying to convince us that she was something virtually impossible to exist in our world, yet we still took her in despite being a complete stranger or risk of her being a robber something. You see, Dia and I are thickheaded idiots, and we're not about to let the sister of our friend sleep in a park while raining."

"So it's okay for you to stay until we find a way to send you back," piped up Dia with a smile of her own. To her best friend she said, "You can send her back, right?"

"I'll try and figure it out," replied the boy while picking his ear. He gave the two girls a smile before standing up from the sofa and stretching his arms, "Well, I'll be taking my leave now. You two need to get acquainted after all."

"What? But what about dinner?" questioned the brunette in a surprised manner.

"I'll just go and eat out," said Dom while walking to the front door, "Besides, Dia. You gotta work hard in creating your harem. Good luck!"

The two girls watched as he left, followed by the sound of a door opening and closing. Silence reigned the living room as the two were left alone. Well this was awkward…

"P-Please take care of me," muttered Nepgear with a small bow.

"L-Likewise…" replied Dia doing the same.

* * *

Morning arrived with a flash; surprisingly the weather seemed to faring better than it did a few days ago. Walking across the streets, Dom whistled a little tune as he made his way to his best friend's house; greeting the people he passed by. He wasn't surprised at all when he noticed the sky brighten a bit; he had already concluded that it had something to do with Nepgear's presence. Last night was a pain since he stayed all the way to midnight getting Histoire's page to anything yet he didn't receive any kind of response.

He took note that he should try again later if he found any luck. Still, he found it odd. _The_ Nepgear was staying at his best friend's house and he didn't even react. Seeing as she was his favorite character of the whole Neptunia franchise, he expected himself to spaz out even for a bit. He considered getting an autograph later, maybe let her sign his disc case or his controller. He just hoped that she would be in one piece after Dia realizes about that girl's personality.

A small smile appeared on his lips as he arrived just before Dia's front door and was about to knock… When it suddenly burst open revealing a harried Dia.

"Good morning," greeted Dom with a devilish smirk.

"You… Why didn't you remind me?" she asked barely above a whisper, "Why didn't you tell me?! You're basically doing this so I could suffer, right?!"

"I… Have no idea what you're talking about," replied the boy with a poorly disguised lie.

"Why? She's so… so…" hissed the brunette while clutching at the boy's clothes.

"Breakfast is ready~" called a voice within the house.

"Why is she the perfect wife material?" Dom put in helpfully to which the girl looked him in the eyes with hate, "Heh, I dunno. Your fault for not playing mk2 and stuck to the original game. You missed out on a lot of things."

The brunette slumped her shoulders at that and didn't even resist as the boy dragged her within her house once more. The amazing smell of pancakes being cooked hung in the air, making Dom's mouth water just by imagining the Candidate's rumored legendary cooking. Walking across the first hall, the two entered through the living room and into the kitchen where Nepgear was dressed back in her old clothes with an apron adorning her front.

"Ah! Mister Dom!" she greeted with a smile of an angel, "Perfect timing, we were just having breakfast. Why not join us, I made a lot today."

"Why thank you Nepgear, I'm honored," replied the boy while taking his seat. He glanced at his dead looking best friend whom was still gazing at the perfect waifu material go about her work, apparently this was the first time she had encountered someone better at cooking than her. An understatement, the lilac haired girl was similar to a clone, only less violent and even more caring than the original Dia. The girl in question looked like she was close to tears as she watched the Candidate flip that pancake graciously.

"Congratulations, you just found your long lost sister," commented Dom while cutting up his meal, "If you're going to hug her and say 'Please marry me' then I'm not going to stop you."

"Say one more word and I'm going to stab you with that butter knife," replied Dia as she wiped her emotion filled tears and sat down.

"Fair enough," he muttered as he called out to the CPU, "Hey Gear, come on now, the pancakes are getting cold."

"Ah, yes!" the Candidate then sat down on her chair and clapped her hands, "Time to eat!"

Taking the first bite, Dom chewed on his food carefully while saying, "Amazing… The texture's heavenly and it really goes well with the syrup prepared."

"T-Thank you," said Nepgear in a bashful manner, "I-It's nothing really. Just a… normal pancake…"

"Ironic since I was about to say that this was a food of the gods," praised the boy while reaching out to pat the girl's head, "Good job, I like you already."

"Mmm, this is good," said Dia as she munched on her food, "Who taught you to cook? This… this is wonderful!"

The Candidate scratched her cheek as she let out a nervous reply, "W-Well… Since my sister's too busy with 'Work' I decided to work on my cooking since she's always beat and tired whenever she comes home. Histoire helped me and thinks that I'm doing well, but really, I have a lot to learn."

"'Work' yeah right," commented Dom with a brief shake of his head, "Hell will freeze over before that girl does actual work. You underestimate yourself too much, Gear-chan. I thought with the character development you had in mk2 that you'll be more confident with yourself."

"M…k2?" asked Nepgear with a tilt of the head, "What do you mean?"

"So wait… You don't know?" said the brunette with wide eyed surprise, "Oh dear… Uh… well how should I say this…"

"Yer a wizard Nepgear," replied the boy in a false imitation of a certain half giant. Though he had to dodge his best friend's left hook in the process before correcting himself, "Okay, so I was kidding. In fact, you're a fictional character from a videogame. Well… three videogames…"

"Wh-What?!" the CPU gasped as she started hyperventilating, "Wa-Wait, S-So me talking to myself—"

"You were addressing the players, and no, you're not crazy," assured Dom with a carefree smile, "Before you go into a severe existential crisis, keep the question: 'Does it even matter?' inside your head while calming yourself down. Better?"

"I-I think so…" answered the lilac haired girl while clutching her chest, "A videogame character? So Neptune's stories were true then…"

"It's good to hear that she's okay," said Dia in a poorly disguised attempt to change the subject. She shot her best friend a venomous glare before he had the chance to make a snarky comment and went on, "You must've been worried. I mean, having an important person such as a Goddess to disappear for a week may have worried a lot of people, don't you think?"

"A... week?" the two best friends could imagine a big question mark floating above the Candidate's head, "Uh, she just disappeared after going out to the city with Plutia and then came back after dinner."

The brunette had to swallow her juice hard at that information, _A whole week equals just a few hours in their world?! What kind of sick joke is this? Narnia?!_ Turning to her best friend she said, "You knew this, right?"

"Histoire said it in Victory. She even said that conventional rules don't apply across Dimension so the same statement must apply here," replied Dom in a casual manner, "It must have something to do with the whole multiverse or parallel worlds bull crap. Some kind of law put to keep everything stable or it's just a convenient plot device or something. It can really go either way so I suggest not thinking much into it."

"You're awfully calm about that, what happened to your skeptic self?" asked Dia with a suspicious look at her friend.

"Blame Neptune," he replied before turning to Nepgear, "Anyhow, it's cool that the rule still's in place. If time went the same with both of our worlds then it would be a big problem. I mean a Goddess disappearing would cause mass panic and whatnot."

"Yes, thank Celestia for that," sighed Nepgear she continued to eat. The trio's meal went in silence once the previous topic had disappeared. Suffice to say that the Candidate made enough for breakfast to turn into a feast with pancakes alone. There had to be some kind of magic added into those things to make them so good. Maybe it was just natural talent. In the end though, the lilac haired girl set down her knife and fork, called to the two friend's attention and said, "Um, if… It isn't too much trouble. Can you help me find a-a job?"

"What?" deadpanned Dom while Dia blinked in confusion.

"We already told you that we won't need you to repay us or anything, right?' she asked.

"W-Well… I wouldn't want to come out as a complete free loader," explained the Candidate while twiddling her thumbs, "Besides, I-I have a lot of free time. I might as well help out, you know?"

"Well now… Dia, what do you think?" asked the boy while giving his friend a glance, "If it's me, it's fine, what about you though?"

The girl jumped in her chair while pointing at herself with a trembling finger, "M-Me? Wait why me? I-It's fine I guess… I mean, she was the one who volunteered. Alright, we'll help you. Maybe you'll learn a bit of our world in the process."

The lilac haired girl stood up and took Dia's hands while saying with a bright smile on her face, "Thank you! Thank you very much!"

"Akihabara?" muttered the brunette.

"Akihabara," confirmed the boy.

* * *

Akihabara, the money waster's paradise. The one and only glorified shopping district where an otaku's hard earned cash is flushed down in the drain of cosplay café's and manga shops. Though the area wasn't only known for that, it was also the best place to find a part time job, working students are preferred. In the cruel world where money dictates one's fate on Earth, this place could be considered every part timer's heaven or personal hell depending on their luck. Luckily for the Goddess Candidate, her mortal companions knew better than to let her stray off with the wrong crowd.

Nepgear turned her head from left to right as she gazed from one shop to another, very much like her sister's initial reaction to the shopping district. Fortunately she had more restraint on herself than Neptune did, much to Dom's delight. Their first stop as they arrived was to shop for clothes since the Candidate's normal choice of wear made her stand out too much. Hence her new outfit which consisted of a cute long sleeved white shirt with a cat motif on the front which went along with her light green skirt and black leggings. She also had her hair tied up in a ponytail to complete to look along with a pair of red fake glasses.

The trio braved the crowded streets and went to all sorts of places such as a shopping mall and the arcade. Sometimes Dom wondered if they were really looking for a job.

"This place looks so magical… There are so many people!" exclaimed the lilac haired girl in amazement, funny how no one paid attention to her hair color, "Do the shops ever close at this rate?"

"They don't… Normally," replied the boy as he kept his hands within his pockets, "Well, there was this incident where a satellite crashed here. Other than that, nothing ever makes the shops close unless they decide to."

"Come on people let's keep moving!" urged the brunette, forcefully pushing the two forward.

They looked for places who were hiring some extra hands yet they were met with disappointment. It was either the establishment the Candidate was interested in already filled with employees or the manager seemed sketchy. Dia once suggested that Nepgear could always work at a local fast food joint yet Dom fiercely argued that 'there are other places worth her talent'. Some jobs were good, yet seemed stressful while others were just plain ridiculous. Once or twice Nepgear approached a hotel yet every single time she did, her two companions would drag her away.

The trio stopped by at a gaming shop where the Candidate would feel more at home with games, yet they had to leave once more after Dia delivered a round house kick at a delinquent foolish enough to make a move on the lilac haired girl. They were quickly running out of options and the two humans were close to giving up, it was only when the CPU cheered them up that they found the strength to continue. And continue they did.

"Hey Gear, you're good a singing, right?" asked Dom as they were in the middle of their search, "I don't know if this really happened, but when you were in Leanbox during the ASIC incident, you helped 5pb. perform on stage with the other candidates to increase the Landmass' shares. So I figured at one point maybe you know how to sing."

"Well… Now that you mentioned it, we did sing at that time," replied Nepgear with a smile, "I still don't know if I'm good or not, but people did like that music video my sister and I made, so…. Yes?"

"Then you can work at a karaoke," suggested the boy with a triumphant look, "It's perfect!"

"And what? She'll meet those bastards who tried to cup a feel on her earlier? Fat chance," deadpanned their brunette companion while shooting down Dom's idea and burning it, "If she was Lyrica then it would've been okay, but she isn't."

"Geez. Aren't you the overprotective one," muttered Dom while turning his head to somewhere else he could look at.

"Why don't we take a break? I am getting kind of hungry and you two have been working so hard," suggested the Candidate while clapping her hands once.

The two humans looked at each other briefly before giving one another a shrug. The party then went to the nearest available bench and settled themselves there. Dom had the misfortune of being the male of the group and was forced to go and buy the girls their lunch somewhere else. He went a muttering darkly while his best friend crossed her arms and shot a smug look at the back of his head.

The day was going smooth so far and the weather seemed to be working with them by being bright and sunny. Both girls watched as the sea of people go by, briefly catching the fragmented conversations they had with either their friends or their phone. A little bit away from their spot was a girl dressed in an orange suit, calling customers to her shop while giving out pamphlets with a smile. So far, Nepgear had been enjoying her time in this world much like her sister did.

Dia on the other hand was humming awkwardly to herself as she looked anyplace where the Candidate wasn't in sight. Apparently, she still remembered her mistake with Neptune by being close to the Goddess leading to both of them being hurt. Once in a while she would steal a glance at the lilac haired girl before looking away. She was mildly surprised as to how similar she was to her sister. In terms of personality, Neptune was more hyperactive and engaging while Nepgear was more reserved and polite.

They were polar opposites yet they still got along just fine. Much like how her relationship with Dom was as his best friend. Dia still had to distance herself a bit to prevent from the same thing as last time from happening. She would be warm and nice to the Candidate yet she won't open her heart much. It was better that way.

"Miss Dia?"

The brunette's resolve instantly crumbled as she turned to look at the lilac haired girl.

"Yes?" she replied with a bad poker face.

"You've been fidgeting nervously for a while now, is something wrong?" asked the Candidate with a slight tilt of her head.

"I-It's nothing," Dia lied through her teeth, she silently cursed her insecurity about this. With a sigh, she then added, "It's probably because you remind me of your sister."

"Oh…" Nepgear blinked once just before her face turned serious as if she were deep in thought, "She didn't cause you trouble did she?"

"Of course not!" denied the human girl with a small smile, "She… may have even brightened our week a bit."

"That's good to know," said the Candidate with an understanding nod, "She's always been a handful and always full of energy. I was just a bit worried that she may have done something to trouble you. She can come off as tactless sometimes that I'm afraid that she might anger somebody. I'm glad that she made wonderful friends such as you and Mister Adrian."

"It was nothing, really," chuckled Dia while bashfully rubbing her head, "Geez, if there's one thing I've learned about you, is that you worry too much. Your sister's more than capable you know?"

"Yes… I get the feeling that she would say the same," Nepgear turned her gaze towards the sky and sighed. The human girl stared at her for a moment before she felt nature call all of the sudden. With a look of discomfort, she held her stomach with one hand as she tapped the other girl with her free hand.

"Um, going to restroom! Please stay here," she requested before dashing off at the speed of a rhinoceros.

Confused, the lilac haired girl had no choice but to stay put. She began to think what her sister would be doing at this time. Since time worked differently across dimensions, she figured that Neptune would be looking for her all over the Basilicom. It wasn't probably even a few hours after she left. Her eyes then rested on the crowd.

There were sure a lot of people passing by. Men in business suits, women shopping for groceries, young ladies hanging out with their friends, a group of friends walking out of a karaoke bar laughing all the way while couples held hands and enjoyed each other's company. In a way, this world wasn't that different from Gamindustri. The people here were happy and so were the people back home. Her first impression of this world when she arrived would've been gray.

She saw how the houses she passed back then were so somber and colorless. Maybe it was just the rain? Yet she felt so sad. As if a heavy object weighed in her heart. Here, among these smiling people, she had to admit her heart lightened a bit. The sadness slowly melted away to be replaced by warmth. Deep within her, a desire burst in life. The desire of making people smile. She would like that. As a CPU Candidate in training, she had to make use of herself. So by the time her sister would need her, she could be useful.

Home. She couldn't wait to tell everyone about this.

"Ah, excuse me!" called a voice.

Confused, Nepgear's attention fell upon a young man gasping for breath, a bright bag under his arms. Seeing that this person was exhausted beyond belief, the girl then said, "Um? Are you okay? If you would like, you can take this seat right here. You look tired though."

"N-No problem, I'm okay," replied the boy as he breathed heavily, "Anyhow, could you hold this bag for me?"

"Um, okay?" said the Candidate in an uncertain tone.

"Thanks, you're lifesaver!" said the young man in gratitude before handing the girl the bag, "I'll be back, quick!"

With that, he ran off, leaving Nepgear behind to wonder what happened, "Hmm. What a strange guy…huh?"

"THAT'S MY BAG OFFICER! THAT RED ONE RIGHT THERE!"

"OI, YOU THERE, YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!"

Suddenly, a man in blue and a young woman came to a halt just in front of the confused lilac haired girl. Blinking twice, she didn't understand why that other girl was pointing an accusing finger at her while the man in blue took threatening steps towards her with angry expression.

"Wh-What's going on?" she asked as the police officer grabbed her by the wrist and handcuffed her, "I-I don't understand why is this happening?"

"You young lady are in a whole lot of trouble," growled the officer while the young woman took her bag and hugged it, "You're under arrest for robbery, girlie. Damned kids these days."

"N-no! Wait! This is a big misunderstanding!" protested Nepgear as she struggled, her eyes filling up with tears as a large crowd began to gather around, "I didn't do this! Honest! There was this man, he said he'll come back for it! Wait!"

"Yeah, yeah," grumbled the police as he dragged her into a nearby mobile and drove her off.

* * *

Dom whistled to himself an upbeat tune as he waited outside the station. He greeted and nodded at any officer that exited or entered the building while waiting. It was only an hour past lunch and things already got this exciting, he had to make a mental note to bring a leash with him next time. A moment later, the glass doors opened once more where a teary eyed Candidate and a very pissed brunette exited the establishment.

"I can't believe those fucking bastards!" cursed Dia through gritted teeth, her eyes looked as if she were ready to tear the building apart brick by brick, "The hell they did that for? Driving her off without explaining was one thing, but cuffing her and handling her without even a bit of delicacy is a step too far!"

"I-I'm sorry," muttered Nepgear as she fixed her eyes on her feet, "I-I'm really sorry for the trouble…"

"Well don't be! Gear, transform into HDD now, we're blowing this place up!" growled the brunette while glaring at the station with all her hate.

"Alright kiddies, I think that's enough," spoke Dom while grabbing both girls by their shoulders and steering them away, "The mess is bad enough as it is, no need to make a scandal in public, okay? So, Gear, had fun at the slammer? Never knew you had in—GUH!"

An elbow to the gut courtesy of Dia shut him up. Following this, the human girl then said, "Seriously Nepgear, you don't have to cry. It was all a big misunderstanding. Everything worked out in the end, right?"

"B-but… well… *sniff* Okay…" muttered the Candidate while wiping her eyes with her sleeve, "After all you've done for me… This happens…"

"It's just one of those days," said the boy while clutching his stomach, "besides, one you get back to Gamindustri, you can all brag to your friends that you know how the prison here looks like. Thank mom and dad for the extra cash…"

"We were lucky that the bank still had something from last month's allowance or else we won't have enough money to bail her out," pointed out the brunette with a heavy sigh, "Don't worry Gear, it's not like we lost anything important. What's good is that you're safe. Didn't anyone tell you not to talk to strangers?"

"What is she, a pre-schooler—GUH!" another elbow to the gut for Dom.

"It's because of simple things like that do we get into these sorts of things!" snarled the brunette with much venom. To the Candidate she said in a much kinder tone, "Please be careful next time, okay?"

"I-I understand," muttered Nepgear in a sad tone.

"Oh hey, I think I found the perfect job for you," announced the boy all of a sudden. He took out a pamphlet from his pocket and showed it to the two girls, "What do you think, Maidgear?"

"A maid café? Seriously?" Dia gave her best friend a suspicious look as she continued, "This?"

"You got better ideas?" asked the boy while crossing his arms.

"N-no… it's… just that…" a sigh escaped the girl before turning to the lilac haired one, "What do you think? It could work out, you know?"

The two friends were only given silence on Nepgear's part as she stared off into a blank space before her. It didn't really seem like she was listening to them in the first place and only had her body working on auto pilot as they walked. Finally, the spark that had ignited within her since breakfast blazed into a roaring fire once more with so much intensity that one could imagine it swaying within her eyes. Geez, anime effects. Nevertheless, she snatched the pamphlet from Dom's pocket and gave it a calculating look.

Putting at her side, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "I'm going…"

"That's the spirit," praised Dia while jabbing her fist in the air.

"That escalated quickly," commented Dom whom had to dodge his best friend's attack.

The Candidate's eyes turned misty again as she sniffled, "Y-You two… THANK YOU!"

* * *

"Ah, Master Adrian. It's been a long while, no?" greeted a pretty young woman in a blue French maid uniform.

"Miss Manager, hello again," replied the boy with a respectful bow.

Once again, the trio was back in Akihabara, this time right in front of a maid cosplay café known as Meido no Paradaisu (Maid's Paradise). Cheesy name aside, the manager, a young woman in her early twenties wearing the standard uniform came out to greet them. She had a warm motherly air about her which showed in her smile.

Behind her, the café's employees were working hard on serving various customers. Be it the common otaku, couple, family, they all served them with a smile. The atmosphere the establishment radiated was so friendly that the two best friends were close to being convinced that this place would be perfect for Nepgear.

"How long has it been, two months already? Oh my, let's take this inside shall we?" the manager bowed once more before gesturing the trio inside. Dom followed the young woman inside the establishment with indifference while the two girls behind him seemed uncomfortable. Of course any normal girl would express discomfort in being in a place where creepers would sometime hide. Maid café's weren't really that popular with normal girls, and some of the employees even hide the truth of their jobs despite enjoying it so much.

The manager girl led them up to the second floor of the café and into her office where the three protagonists sat on a fluffy pink sofa. A couple of maid girls went in and served them tea and cookies, after that they quickly left and left them alone with the manager. Said girl sat at the back of a rather intimidating jet black desk with only a pink cup filled with pens to decorate it.

"So…" began the manager while still giving the trio the same kind smile, "What business does our very own number one customer have with us? If I remember correctly, we haven't repaid you for giving us that loan, hm?"

Dia turned to the boy with a shocked look on her face, "SINCE WHEN DID YOU HAND OUT LOANS?!"

"Oi, blame my parents for sending too much cash," replied Dom while scratching his cheek.

"DON'T TRHOW AWAY YOUR MONEY WITHOUT CARE!" scolded the brunette in a panicked tone.

"Geez, I'm only helping out with people in need," muttered the boy while crossing his arms, "Manager here is also known as Kanzaki Toshio. He's a cross dresser."

A fist connected with his jaw cutting him off from the rest of his explanation, Dia on the other hand looked livid, "You're… GOING TO MAKE NEPGEAR WORK AT A TRAP CAFÉ?!"

"Miss, please, I would like it more if you didn't kill our benefactor before we repaid our debt to him," said Toshio in an attempt to calm the girl down. Once she did, the cross dressing manager explained the rest of what Dom was about to say, "You see here, the land in which this establishment now stands was owned by Master Adrian's parents. He was the one who suggested that I start my business here after our paths crossed at a convention. Until that day, the only means of me repaying him was allowing him to eat here for free whenever he likes."

"Oh? Then Dom's a really rich person then," chirped Nepgear in surprise, "Oh dear, I didn't know that."

"Ugh, please don't remind me," requested the boy while rubbing his sore cheek, "Anyhow. Toshio, I'm going to ask you a favor now. You think you can do it?"

"Of course," agreed the manager with the same smile, "If there's anything my girls could help you with, then they will be more than happy."

"It's nothing like that," denied Dom before gesturing at the blinking Candidate, "This girl's looking for a job, we tried looking for alternatives all morning yet failed to find any that'll suit her. Somehow I passed by one of your maids that were handing out pamphlets and… well, here we are. You think you can sign her up?"

Dia crossed her arms and said, "Is it really going to be that easy?"

Toshio on the other hand was silent. He rested his chin on his palm as he gave Nepgear a quick glance and started making calculations within his mind. Coming at a decision, he then said, "I see… Master Adrian, Miss Dia, would you two kindly stay outside for a while. I will be conducting a proper interview with Miss Nepgear."

The two friends blinked twice before giving the lilac haired girl a glance. She only smiled at them and nodded her head as if saying everything was okay. Without another word, they both gave her the thumbs up and left. Closing the door behind them, the two protagonists released a sigh. Right now, they looked like two parents worried over the outcome of their child's test results.

"So… He's gay right? That cross dresser…" muttered the brunette.

"He has his girlfriend work here," replied the boy while pinching the bridge of his nose. Reality sure was strange…

…..

….

…

A whole fifteen minutes passed by yet no one still exited the office. The two best friends settled for standing in the hall way, sweat breaking through their brows as they expected the worst. They were nervous god knows what they would do if the Candidate broke down due to being rejected. No, they had to keep themselves intact; there was no use in panicking.

"Hey Dia…"

"What?"

"Is this what it feels like to be a parent?"

"Please shut up now…"

Another minute flew by… followed by another. They were starting to get bored. The sounds of the people below reached all the way to the office. It seemed like everyone was having a good time. This place sure suited Nepgear, maybe she'll even make a few friends during the process. However they both knew that it won't last long having experienced it for themselves. They still had to tell that girl about sending her home once they figured how.

But for now… They'll let her go freely at her own pace. There was no use in restraining the CPU from exploring.

And then the door flew open and out exited the lilac haired girl, "I did it! I did it! I got the job!"

"Wha—? C-Congratulations!" stuttered Dia in surprise as the other girl hugged her.

"Damn, there goes my five hundred yen," cursed Dom through gritted teeth as his best friend shot him a smug look. With a sigh he held out his hand and said, "Congratulations Nepgear, or should I say, Maidgear. Bless this town with your heavenly pancakes."

Taking the boy's hand, the Candidate enthusiastically shook it, "Thank you! Thank you very much!"

Releasing his hand, Dom approached Toshio whom was leaning against the door frame with an amused look on his face, "Hmph, you didn't find her strange?"

"Well, I'll admit she's mysterious," giggled the cross dressing manager, "And that she's hiding a lot of things, but I can tell that she's a good girl at heart."

"The paper work?" asked Dom with an eye brow raised.

"Done," replied Toshio while showing a bunch of papers in his hands. Giving the boy a wink, which disturbed him to the point of turning green, the manager then said to Nepgear, "Okay then. You will be starting tomorrow, I'll have someone fit you into your uniform and show you the ropes around here. Welcome aboard, Miss Nepgear!"

"I'll do my best!" replied the Candidate with a bright smile.

* * *

_Nicolas Notes:_

_Hello once again dear readers. Seems like a lot of you enjoyed the last chapter, hm? i would now like to welcome you all to the Nepgear arc. *confetti*. Stupid movie references from this chapter aside, I'm finding it hard to keep the fourth wall in tact. (Last chapter didn't fare well for it either, damn you Histoire) Anyhow I would like to thank you all for those who are following this story._

_Uh... So yes, this chapter was quite a doozy for me to write since it took up most of my schedule for my other fics. seriously, I'm only waiting for myself to get bored of this so that I could return to my other fics, ehehe. However, writing our two human protagonists as well as making our CPU of the week smile and cry is just so gosh darned adorable... and fun!_

_I think i just got diabetes for the many times i made Gear-chan smile..._

_*sigh* I'll have to stop myself (and Dom) from making anymore references. It's getting out of hand. Alas, it seems to me that the story writes itself. Once again dear readers, if you find anything that needs my attention, please tell me in the reviews or PM me. I'm still new to these stuff yet I'm improving... or am I? Oh well, that remains to be seen._

_I think i forgot anything else I had to say so please enjoy the coming chapters. _

_That's all for now._

_Yahoo~_


	7. Chapter 7: Operation Idolgear: ENGAGE!

It was the day of her tournament. Her hands were steadily holding her bow, arrow propped up ready to be fired at any moment. Her hazel eyes narrowed as she focused all her willpower on praying for her arrow to hit. There were people around her, thousands of them spectating at her performance. All at the edge of their seats as they waited for the final arrow which will get her the gold medal. Just one more shot. The girl took a deep breath as she finally relaxed her shoulders.

She then let her arrow fly.

The audible twang of her bow echoed across the stadium, followed by a dull thud. There was the sound of metal clattering on the floor. Dia couldn't believe it, she missed. That was when the whispering started. She couldn't believe it, she knew it was going to hit yet it didn't. She thought back to what happened. Her arrow flew yet for some reason it steered to the left despite being aimed somewhere else.

She looked up at the crowds above and she could see them giving her looks of disappointment while others had a devilish smirk on their lips. The judges seated at the stands only gave her pitying stares as they shook their head. It wasn't fair, her arrow flew off course. Slowly, ever so slowly, the crowds' whispering became more audible until they broke out into full blown jeers and sneers.

The haunting voices of mockery rung in her ears that she was forced to clamp her palms on either side of her head. She cried out for them to stop yet they merely raised their voices to drown out her own. It heart her, their laughter and mockery piercing her like a rusted knife. She could hear them, their clear words despite the hundreds of voices mixing with each other.

_Trash…_

_Disappear…_

_Worthless…_

_Useless…_

_Pathetic…_

_Pitiful…_

_Die…_

_Die…_

_DIE!_

Dia vigorously shook her head and kneeled down to retrieve her bow. However just as she made contact with her bow, the red carpeted floor suddenly turned liquid and sucked her in. With a yelp, she struggled to regain her composure as she fought to find which way was up and down. She couldn't breathe, she was suffocating, she had to get out of here. It hurt, it hurt her mind. She could see them, a spear, a sword, an axe, and a book. Suddenly, her mouth moved on its own.

_Why?_

Not even comprehending what happened, the girl suddenly found herself within a car. They were moving very fast that the landscape outside was nothing more than a blur. Dia yelled for the driver to slow down yet her voice died in her throat as she realized what was driving. It was a man in a clean tuxedo, yet for some eerie reason his entire head was covered by a large cotton rabbit's mask. The brunette wanted to scream, she was afraid, afraid of whatever… that thing was.

She felt like crawling out of her skin just to get away from the repulsive aura that strange man had. Her blood turned into ice as he glanced behind her and gave her a two fingered salute. The girl then realized that a bright light was headed towards the car fast and was about to brace for impact since there was no escape. It was only at the last minute did she notice a cradle beside her and quickly shielded it with her body. The incoming vehicle's horn grew louder and louder until…

Dia woke up.

Cold sweat formed upon her brow as her exhausted breathing filled her room. She glanced at her alarm clock and found out that it was half past four. Cursing under her breath, she sat up and rubbed her throbbing temple. She had that nightmare again. There was no way she was going to be afraid by those again, she was seventeen now. She wasn't a kid anymore…

The brunette glanced at her phone that had exposed itself from under her pillow. Calling Dom at this hour would only have her yelled at, waking her up completely, yet she didn't want to go back to sleep. Deciding on what she would do, the girl got off her bed and walked towards her door. Her bare feet came in contact with the cold floor, almost making her flinch. Silently, she made her way to the guest room and unlocked it, peeking inside. Her guest was still sound asleep, lost in the world of dreams.

She didn't know why but seeing that another person was in her house sleeping peacefully. It would've been embarrassing if she were to knock on Nepgear's door and ask to sleep there for the rest of the morning. With a small sigh, she started going back to her room, rubbing her cold arm as she went.

* * *

"Strange dreams, huh?" muttered Dom as he sipped his coffee. Gently setting it down, he continued, "Well… You're probably thinking about too much stuff again. Didn't I tell you to cut loose sometimes?"

"That's exactly why we're here, right?' said Dia while she rested her head on her palm, watching the various girls in maid uniforms go by as they served their morning customers.

"Correction, we're here to keep an eye on Gear for a few hours," countered the boy while crossing his arms and smiling, "Once we get the green light, I can go home and surf the net. We've been through this routine for three days now."

Just as the male protagonist has said, it has been three days since the Candidate begun working at a maid café as a maid. The two best friends were keeping an eye on her during breakfast, lunch, and dinner time just to make sure she was okay. And boy howdy was she doing better than okay. In such a short span of time, the girl already made friends after being shown the ropes of the café. Rumors started to travel across the shopping district on how magnificent the café's service was, drawing in the attention of a lot of customers.

Business was booming as a number people started to drop by, forcing most of the maids to go around in a skittish manner as they took orders from their 'masters' and delivered tea and cookies. A lot of the other employees were enjoying their time with Nepgear, considering her already as part of the club despite being a newbie. She still however had to do something with her reaction time since it would take someone two tries to get her attention.

Along with getting just fine with the rest of the maids, the service she provides isn't a step down fantastic. Many are clamoring for her personally made pancakes and brewed tea, causing the lilac haired girl to be bashful every time she was praised. This sometimes resulted into increased air-headedness and klutziness.

Her seniors were kind enough to tolerate this and even help her out whenever she needed something. All in all, she was climbing the steps of becoming head maid faster than her two friends could imagine. Maybe it was just her natural talent showing again. Bottom line was that Nepgear was just a natural at spoiling people, therefore making her one of the best maids in Meido no Paradaisu despite being a rookie. Dom once noted that this was just the beginning of her metamorphosis as a 'Mary Sue' yet was silenced by Dia via gut punch.

"Fine, do what you want," relented the brunette as she fixed her eyes on Nepgear's movements. Seeing the girl like that made her nostalgic. With a sigh, she turned her attention back at her best friend and asked, "Any luck with the page yet?"

"Thank you," said the boy as one of the maid girls refilled his tea cup, to his friend he replied, "Yup. Spoke with Histoire last night too."

Her interest piqued, Dia followed with, "What did she say?"

"Neptune says hi," answered Dom in an unenthusiastic manner, "Anyhow, she gave me a bit of info on when the page should be ready for sending Nepgear back. She said that with every use, the page takes three whole freaking days to recharge and _that's_ only if a CPU is around."

"So it won't begin its cool down without a CPU?" questioned the girl to which the boy nodded.

"Yep," he confirmed, "So Let's see. Nepgear arrived three days ago so it should be fully charge the more I am near to her. Once it's full of juice, we can send her back anytime we want. Of course not now, since that'll be too cruel. After giving Histoire some update about Gear's status, she then asked me a favor if that girl could stay for a bit until her contract expires. Apparently, she wants the Candidate to have some kind of vacation away from her sister for a while. Turns out she does nothing but care for Neptune all the time… Sheesh…"

"So when do we send her back?" Dia stirred her tea cup's contents with a little spoon as she sighed.

"The moment she shows signs of Share Deprivation," replied the boy, "Once she turns transparent too much then it's bye bye for her. Besides, the paper work I had Toshio made has her work totally ambiguous. Meaning, she has no definite date where she started working or ended working. At best, those papers would be only used for display. It wouldn't mean anything should she disappear all of a sudden."

"Just what the heck do you do in your spare time?" asked the brunette with a bored look.

"Learning tricks in case dad kicks the bucket," the boy's eyes then looked up as a certain lilac haired girl approached them, "Having fun?"

Nepgear giggled at the question as if the answer was obvious, "Of course I am! Um, you two have been for a while. Is there anything you need?"

"You don't have to get us anything," said Dia with a small smile, "We're fine here. Just keeping an eye on things."

"Hold up," ordered Dom as he reached within a cardboard bag beneath his table and took out what looked like a controller, "I forgot to get your autograph. If you can just sign it here…"

"Seriously?" muttered his best friend with a look of disbelief.

"She's my favorite character, cut me some slack," grumbled the boy as he pushed the pen and controller at the Candidate, "Sign please."

"O-Okay," she stuttered while clumsily signing at the device with trembling hands, "I-I never knew y-you were a fan s-so…"

Her words however were ignored as Dom gazed longingly at his controller and sighed, "My life is complete…"

"Then go crawl in a hole and die," suggested Dia in a hopeful manner.

"You picking a fight, punk?" asked the boy with a twitching eyebrow.

"What if I am?" retorted the girl through gritted teeth.

The Candidate was lost on what to two since both of her friends were close to killing each other again. In an act to distract them both, she then announced without warning, "F-Free Gear pancakes for everyone!"

A rough cheer sounded all around followed by six maids yelling orders of said pancakes with ridiculous amounts of servings. Breakfast was still on so the pancakes were still on the menu until a quarter before lunch. Another sold out for today it seemed. After the surprise announcement, the boy and the girl slumped back in the chairs and both breathed a sigh and gave Nepgear an amused look. Having both of their attention on her made the girl in question nervous.

"Oh my, Gear. I never you knew you were so bold," said Dom with a smirk before sipping the last of his mug's contents, "Character development paid out after all."

"Nepgear!" called a young maid with long waist length brown hair and dark blue eyes. She came to a halt just beside the Candidate and straightened her red white maid uniform, giving the two customers her fellow employee had a bow before turning to the lilac haired girl, "Here. It's an announcement made by the manager. It says that there's a contest coming up a few days from now. I'm going to deliver the rest to the others, hope you do your best too, okay?"

"Thank you very much Rika," said Nepgear while taking a pamphlet the other maid had. Rika gave her a two fingered salute and cheerily skipped back to work, the red scarf around her neck swaying behind her. She must've been from the cosplay sect of the café based on her appearance.

"Contest? On what?" asked Dom with a raised eyebrow. Surprisingly enough, it was Dia who answered.

"There's always a yearly competition among the maid café's here in Akiba to see which one has the best service among them," she said as she looked up to the ceiling as if remembering more, "In fact, the grand prize winner will get advertised in a magazine and will receive a total money of a hundred thousand yen."

"Goodness, Dia knows a lot!" giggled the Candidate while the brunette realized what she just said. Her face then turned beet red for some reason and was about to say something when her best friend suddenly clamped his hands on her cheeks.

"You… You're hiding something aren't you?" he asked with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"I-I am not!" denied Dia with struggling under his grip. She squealed when he started stretching her cheeks.

"She's lying you know?" said a voice to which the three turned their attention to. It was the manager himself in his usual cross dress. Today he sported a pink colored wig complete with twin tails and bright green contacts in his eyes. No one would've known he was a boy save for the employees and the two best friends.

"You! Stop, now!" snarled the brunette with eyes mixed with both fear and frustration. Behind her Nepgear sported an innocently confused look while Dom had a cruel smile on his face. Seeing this, she then flailed her arms wildly at the manager and said, "It's nothing, really! Nothing to know here, ehehehe."

"Dia-chan here worked as a maid for two years in our rival's café," said Toshio in a carefree manner.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" roared the brunette as she grabbed the Trap by the collar, "That's just uncalled for!"

"Ah, I see… No wonder she's always late when she comes home back then," recalled Dom in an unsurprised manner.

"AT LEAST BE MORE SHOCKED!" yelled Dia.

"Oh goodness, no wonder Miss Dia always has an elegant form," commented Nepgear with an awed look.

"ELEGANT MY ASS!" cursed Dia.

"Oh dear, look who's the potty mouth," giggled Toshio with a small smile. She then patted the brunette's shoulder as to calm her down, "Apparently, this girl has taken various odd jobs all over Akiba, excluding those not fit for her age. She became an ice cream vendor, a mascot character, a salesgirl in a normal café, and finally a maid in a maid café. She has been working for our rival for two straight years earning them the grand prize and magazine promotion through sheer brute force."

"Brute…force?" echoed Dom in a weak manner.

"She dragged in customers willing or not into their café and serviced them with a smile," explained the manager with a wink, sending shivers down the boy's spine, "This girl is the two faced iron maiden, the Reigning Dial."

Dom glanced at his best friend doing her best to hide her face before turning his attention back at the cross dresser, "You're screwing with me, right? You honestly want me to believe that this totally tomboyish, pathetic excuse of a woman has a name that looks like it came out of a manga? Please tell me you're bullshitting me."

"Um, Master Adrian if I may," requested Nepgear from the side, "We are in the country known as Japan after all, so I think you could let it slide for now…"

"But…But it's so unrealistic!" protested the boy while slamming his hand on the table, "Dia tell me they're joking!"

"They're not," muttered the girl.

"BWAHAHAHAHA—GUK!" with on precise hit on the jaw, Dom was knocked out.

"Why are you suddenly spouting nonsense, huh?" asked Dia, however this one was directed to the manager whom still had that smile on his face, "I mean that was totally uncalled for. Besides, I only worked here for a while and resigned then after."

"That's because I want your skill," replied Toshio, "I want you to train Nepgear here…"

"E-Eh?" the Candidate seemed surprised at the sudden turn of events, "M-me? But why? I'm just a newbie and…"

"Exactly!" exclaimed the manager, "With your natural talent and Miss Dia's experience, you'll be our primary weapon that will win us this year's contest! Just think about it, my café on national magazine! If a miracle happens it'll be a national treasure!"

"You sure have big dreams, how carefree," sighed Dia, "Besides there's no one better to teach Gear here than the people here. So why bother asking me? A hands on experience would be more suitable for her, no?"

"What's the matter, Dia-chan? Chicken?" sneered Toshio with a mocking smile.

Nepgear yelped as the brunette suddenly rose from her seat and took three steps towards the cross dressing manager. She noticed how the girl's hand was formed into a fist, immediately closing her eyes as she noticed how her friend's hand slowly rose up at an alarming rate. That was when she felt something pat her on the head.

"Chicken? You're calling a falcon a chicken? Well now, that looks like a challenge," said Dia while ruffling the Candidate's head, "Don't you worry. By next week, this girl will be a goddamned Roc."

* * *

It was six o' clock in the evening when the two began their training. The brunette had to wait until Nepgear was free of her job for them to begin their practice. Just before leaving the café, she already told the other girl to meet her at the park at the mentioned time. Due to him having a bad experience at that place, Dom said his farewells before retreating back to his apartment, probably going to kill time on his games. Not that she needed him anyway.

Dusk was already creeping in giving way to a cool breeze passing over head. She wondered if she'll be able to pull this off. A week from now would be the contest itself, teaching the Candidate won't be as hard as making Neptune memorize the cities around Japan since she had the knack of taking care of people before becoming a maid. But then again, she didn't know where to start. Back then when she used to work, she just did what she felt like was the nice to thing to do and went along with it. She didn't expect it to make her a legend or whatnot.

"That's it!" she exclaimed while hitting her fist on an open palm.

"Auuu~, w-w-what's it?" groaned Nepgear while struggling to balance a stack of books on her head while carrying two pails of water on either side of her.

"Eh? Why are you like that?" asked the brunette.

"Because you told me so!" cried the lilac haired girl with a strained expression.

"Ah! Sorry, sorry, sorry!" apologized the human girl as she went to help her friend. Taking the pails away and setting down the books, the two released a sigh as they collapsed on a nearby bench. Stretching her arms on either side, Dia then stood up and said, "I got it. The sure fire way that'll make you the perfect maid?"

"Really? Goodness, if you could've only told me earlier," complained Nepgear, yet she still maintained a small smile on her lips.

"I know, I know. But hear me out," said other girl while placing a hand on her hip, "One way of being a good café maid is by just being yourself."

"Being… myself?" asked the Candidate with a tilt of her head, "I'm afraid I don't understand. I think that's what I've been doing so far."

"Oh Gear-chan if you could only see yourself," sighed Dia in a false disappointed fashion. She immediately straightened and pointed a finger at the girl before her, "You have an impressive technique, however you're lacking in skill and your form isn't right! To become a maid, you must take your job seriously while maintaining an air of elegance around you. You need charisma, skill, and technique! Being a maid is a serious business and is no laughing matter."

Blinking at her words, the CPU had no choice but to force out a nervous chuckle, Oh my… I didn't think Miss Dia would be this passionate."

The girl in question slumped her shoulders forward in a dejected manner, "Heh, it's… just the after effects I guess. Since I resigned and went along with my school life, I've never come in contact with being a café maid since then. But you see that's the gist of it. You have talent Nepgear as well as potential. Something I had to work hard to get during my time. That's why I'm going to make you the perfect café maid, you understand?"

"Y-yes!" agreed Nepgear, her face filled with determination.

"Now to ensure that you won't hurt your pride while serving someone, you better remember those three words that I said earlier. Charisma, skill, and technique," explained Dia while crossing her arms, "You have the technique down so all you need to work on is your skill and charisma."

She then approached the lilac haired girl and her hand on Nepgear's chin, pulling her face close. Their faces an inch from each other, she could notice easily how the Candidate's face suddenly flushed red. Just as planned. With that, she placed her forehead on the CPU's and said, "What do you feel now?"

"W-Wha-What are you doing?" stuttered the other girl in a flustered manner.

"Just answer me honestly," pressed in the brunette, "How are you feeling?"

"A-A-A… M-my heart feels like bursting," admitted the lilac haired girl. To this Dia pulled her face away with a smirk.

"Exactly," she said confidently, "That's charisma. You must exploit what the one you're serving's feelings to the highest level. That way they'll enjoy their time in the café. I don't however, recommend doing what I just did earlier. Such a bold move would not do…certainly not. You have to be creative enough to make your customer's heart go… uhh… what do they call it..? Ah, yes, 'kyuun~."

"K-Kyuun? I see…" muttered the Candidate without making eye contact. Seeing this, the human girl had to snap her fingers twice to get her attention.

"In a battle of café maids, one must be diligent and vigilant to every order their masters may give," she continued, "though many may think of this as a waste of time, many girls apparently don't take this as a joke. That's why they'll use every weapon at their disposal that's within the contest rules to attract customers. Some may even play dirty by being idiots, but they got disqualified anyway. Here, only fair play is made and I want you to remember that. You need to use your cute face and kind personality to get your customers on your side and not on the rival business. Do you understand?"

A nod from her student was enough of an answer.

"I guess we can move to the next then, which is skill," Dia began to pace around the spot as she explained, "As an acting servant, you need to memorize a few bits on the common customer. The way they act, speak, and etc. From there, you predict what their orders will be and other preferences they'll need. After that you need to be fast, once you get their requests, you need to run fast to the kitchen to place it. A café maid's number one priority is to make the customer's experience as pleasant as possible."

"D-Do you really think I'll be able to do it?" asked Nepgear which caused the brunette to look at her with indifference. A small smile appeared on her lips as she continued with, "I mean. It all seems hard, you know? One blunder and I'll drag everyone down with me. I'm not really sure…."

"Geez, if you're going to get cold feet like that then we might as well stop," sighed the brunette.

"Wha—?" cried the Candidate in surprise, "B-but!"

"But don't think I'll let you off that easily!"" cut off the human girl before Nepgear could even say anything, "That cross dressing bastard's underestimating me… I'll fucking show him…"

"Then let's do our best!" said the lilac haired girl.

…..

….

…

A few more days came to past and the two worked very hard. They met up at the same spot and practiced all the way to midnight where they'll both go home. After eating a late dinner, they'll both take a quick shower before retiring for the night. The next morning, the human girl would assist Nepgear in getting ready for the day before seeing her off. During her friend's absence she would plan out which step she would take in their future sessions. Once the clock strikes six, it would've been the time for her to pick up the CPU where they'll both head to the park.

It's been a routine they've been having for the past three days and the contest was just six days away.

Nepgear has been improving, her form was much more elegant and that she's doing well with using her charms. It seemed to Dia that the kind aura which the girl radiated strengthened fivefold. Judging from Dom's surveillance at the café, everyone was getting along with her just fine. She even managed to attract a handful of customers by inviting them to the café. The girl was fast learner; at this rate maybe she'll even surpass the so called 'Reigning Dial'.

On the third day of their training, the Candidate suddenly asked her, "Um, Miss Dia?"

"Hm?" the brunette glanced at her friend after drinking from a water bottle. The sky was orange as dusk was slowly creeping in.

"What's the reason you became a maid in the past?" continued the other girl while avoiding eye contact, _M-Maybe I asked something personal?_

"I see…" muttered the human girl, "so you're curious huh? I think I could tell you."

"I-it's okay! I-if you don't want then it's fine!" cried the Candidate while flailing her arms.

"Geez, you asked for this," sighed Dia as she began her story, "Well two years ago, I got into a bit of a spat with Dom's parents. They're the ones covering our living expenses while we're here in Tokyo. Since you probably know this already, he's from a very wealthy family that owns a lot of land and uses them for their business. Ever since that guy graduated middle-school, he wanted to live on his own to study here for reasons I still don't know. Since no one would be able to keep an eye on him, his parents picked me to keep watch on what he's doing."

"But, what about your parents?' asked Nepgear.

"I don't know," replied the brunette, "I lived in an orphanage since I was eight. An orphanage owned by that idiot's parents. We became friends there and eventually went to the same school. Since I was deemed trustworthy enough, his mom and dad let me go with him albeit living at a separate place. They send his monthly allowance through me just so I can keep him from spending too much. Along with that they also sent me my allowance too despite not being their child. However one day, Dom's father and I fought over the phone, saying that it was my fault his son was so incompetent and reckless, that I was doing my job, that he should've held his stupid son close. Honestly, I think he was just in a bad mood. But I guess it was my mistake for yelling back at him."

The lilac haired girl beside her lowered her head and said, "I see…"

"He cut off all of my funds yet didn't make me go away. It was probably my punishment," continued the girl, "That's when I started working at random places and eventually sticking to being a café maid. Lucky for me, my school authorizes their students in getting part time job. Lucky and unlucky in both ways. But you know, I guess everything worked out for the better. Don't worry, we're not fighting anymore. Dom's pops and I made up this spring."

"Hmm," the Candidate seemed to be deep in thought as she placed her chin on her fist, "Fate does have strange ways on working you know? Just like you said everything worked out in the end, despite the problems the world threw at you, you still fought on. Even if it was hopeless, you did as you liked….. that feeling's kind of familiar…"

_Ah, that's right. She had her own problems in the past,_ thought Dia, _Following Dom's words, this girl lost her sister and suffered quite a lot just to get her back. To think that my problems were that bigger than anyone else's, this girl's was even bigger. I wonder how she does it…_

"I think it's best to let bygones to be gone, don't you agree?" she replied with a smile, "Well, story time's over, let's go!"

* * *

The fourth day of their training and looked like it was going to rain. Nepgear had just finished changing from her uniform and was about to head out. To think someone as strong as Dia would have that kind of history, it was really as shock for her. Thinking as she checked the pink cat purse she brought the other day, maybe she ought to do something that'll make the brunette proud. If she worked harder than usual during their training, then that would make Dia happy.

"Gear-chan~!" called a voice.

The Candidate didn't have the time to react as someone collided with her and embraced her in a hug. Flustered at the sudden actions, she struggled to pry off the person on her, "R-Rika! Please let go, you're making me unbalanced! G-Goodness, I could fall!"

Releasing the lilac haired girl, the blue eyed one rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, "hehe sorry… you've been working hard all the time, no? Try and lighten up."

"Lighten, up?" repeated Nepgear with a tilt of her head.

"Ehehe, anyhow, you don't have anything to do right? Why not join us, we're going to have some fun singing!" continued Rika with a smile.

"Um, but I—"

"Good let's go!" the blue eyed girl then grabbed the Candidate's arm without waiting for her reply, "Come on, everyone's waiting! We won't want to get wet you know?"

"Y-yes! Hold on, don't…go….SO FAST!"

* * *

Dom whistled a little tune as he travelled beneath the rain, an umbrella spread open above him. He passed by the entrance of the local park and gave a glance to the dim light a lone lamppost emitted. He breathed a sigh as a chill passed through him. Seemed like the sky was gray again, it was probably going to be another week of rain and water. This could be bad. The contest was just two days away.

"There you are," he said as he came to a halt on a bench, "You really thought she was going to come, huh?"

Dia sat on her usual bench while being drenched in the rain. She simply stared at the floor in front of her not caring is she got wet or not. All she did was sit there, a plastic bag filled with canned drinks and some snacks sitting beside her. She didn't even notice her best friend arrive from the sound of the pounding rain.

The boy then flicked her on the forehead just to get her attention, unsurprisingly enough, he got it. At that moment he said, "She's not coming. I called Toshio to contact his maids just to see if Nepgear was with them. Turns out she was. She'll be coming home now, so let's get you fixed up, alright buddy?"

"Yeah…" replied the brunette in an indifferent tone. She stood up and walked away.

Walking to catch up with her pace, Dom arrived at her side while holding the umbrella above her, "Geez, you don't need to be this reckless. At this rate you'll be too sick to attend the contest. You realize how much Gear's morale lies on you? If something bad happens to you she'll worry, if she worries then she'll mess up, if she messes up then—"

"Shut up…"

Having no choice but to let her walk away, the boy simply watched as Dia's retreating figure disappeared out of his vision.

* * *

It was the day of the event and the universe sure was playing along with the festivities. However, it seemed like the contest was only limited to the café district of Akihabara, the rest of the place the same as always. It certainly brightened one's vision to see various cafés decorate their establishments with a variety of concepts ranging from fantasy to a more modern setting. Dom had to traverse across the human tide just to arrive at Nepgear's café.

He was caught a bit off guard when he saw just how many people going in and out. What he found strange though was that he couldn't find a trace of a girl with lilac hair.

Grumbling under his breath, he took a detour around the building. Once he had entered an alley way, he came to a halt before green door and knocked three times. Not too soon after he knocked, it was then opened by an employee whom immediately recognized him.

"Ah, you're," began the café maid yet she was cut off by the boy.

"Sorry for intruding," he apologized while entering the premises. He looked around to see the cooks and maids running about. To the maid at his side, he asked, "Hm, you seen Nepgear anywhere? I didn't see her outside."

"I'll tell you where she is as long as you don't strut around like you own the place," huffed the maid while crossing her arms. A raised eye brow from the boy made her rethink what she just said, "Okay fine you own the place by proxy, but still! Oh well, if you're looking for Gear, she's at the back taking a break. Apparently she has been working herself nonstop since this morning."

"Thanks," muttered Dom as he went to the place the girl indicated.

Sidestepping a couple of cooks, he made his way through a gray door and opened it. Sure enough there was the familiar long lilac hair he was looking for. Walking towards the fidgeting figure, he gave her a brief tap on the shoulder while saying, "Boo!"

To his hidden delight, he achieved the desired reaction with the Candidate jumping in surprise. She spun around so quickly that she almost fell down had she not regained her balance at the last second. Breathing hard she looked at the boy with wide eyes and said, "I-I-I'm sorry! I didn't know you were here!"

"Heh, no worries," replied Dom as he waved his hand dismissively, "Business booming? I came just as promised."

"Th-Thank you," muttered Nepgear while looking down at her feet.

"But still, to be working from morning to lunch non-stop, I must say I'm impressed," commented the boy while crossing his arms, "You better not overwork yourself, the real show will begin this afternoon so you'll need all the strength you can get, you hear me?"

"Yes," the lilac haired girl then followed this with an enthusiastic nod of the head.

"Good," said Dom with a smile, "Now, Dia, I want to know what's happening to her."

That smile of his suddenly felt fake and cold, the warmth that it emitted earlier replaced by something dormant. It seemed to Nepgear that it was taking the boy all of his will power not to say anything harsh or something to that degree. With a shaky breath, she decided to tell him anyway, "She… I haven't talked to her these past few days. Whenever I went to the park where we would meet, she wasn't there and whenever I arrive home she would always lock herself in her room. I… I'm really sorry! Please, I apologize for my selfish actions. It's because I did what I want that… that Miss Dia hates me now!"

Dom remained silent and merely stared at her.

"After all you two did for me," she continued while clutching her chest, "I'm really sorry…"

A sigh escaped the boy's lips as he pinched the bridge of his nose, "you know… Dia's the type of person that can't hate anyone for real. Sure she'll throw a stunt like what you said but don't think that she'll hate your guts from now on…"

"H-huh?" Nepgear had a nervous look on her face at those words, "R-Really?"

"Yeah," confirmed Dom, "Because the people that she hated in the past… Heh, it's too hilarious to remember. Bottom line is if you let something like this drag you down, then it'll be bad news for the café and we can't have that, right?"

"Yes, we can't have that," the Candidate then approached the door and opened it, walking outside and heading to the dining area.

"Air-head," muttered the boy as he released a sigh. He then followed her out of the storage room. However just as he was about to walk far from it, a harried maid ran up to him looking very exhausted.

"B-Benefactor! Nepgear! Nepgear needs your help!" she said as she gasped for breath.

"Benefactor?(Heh, that's kinda catchy) Wait, what happened to Gear?" asked Dom with an edge in his tone, "Hey! I'm asking you—"

"M-Maids from Heart to Moe! She's facing maids from Heart to Moe! Outside!" cried the maid in panic. Alarmed, he gently pushed her aside and exited the kitchen into the dining area. The place was packed yet he somehow managed to catch the glimpse of two café maids in dark green uniforms and…. A lone Nepgear.

_Not good,_ he thought as he struggled to travel through the jammed packed café. After a couple minutes of sidestepping and people dodging, he finally managed to reach the entrance of the café and come close enough to the three café maids. Apparently, a small circle of people surrounded as they watched the proceedings. Dom could barely hear or see anything, yet by some stroke of luck he got close enough to know what they were saying.

"… never knew this was such a pathetic place," said one of the green clad maids, "I mean, if the people want better food and better service then they should've come to our place. But to think they have interest in going to this place is simply appalling. I wonder what that disgusting manager of yours did just to attract this many customers."

"Please Miss, if you don't have any business here then I suggest leaving the premises," said Nepgear in a firm tone, "There's no need to pull others into this, so if you could just leave."

"My, my, aren't you the brave one? Don't you know who we are?" asked the offending maid.

_We could care a whole lot less, bitch, _Dom growled internally.

"We are the reigning winners of this contest for the past four years, the maids of Heart to Moe," announced the green clad maid, "You rats should know by now that it's no use to join anymore so why don't you just back out before you embarrass yourselves again? After that stunt you pulled last year, we thought that this café would close down for sure."

"I apologize, but I am a new employee here so I don't know muc—"

"Then listen well, newbie," hissed the bitchy maid, "Apparently a scandal last year erupted on this very café. Seriously, the girls of this place selling themselves just to win? Truly disgusting, it's like a whorehouse here. You should really know where to pick your job, maggot. Because you're swimming along with some scummy crowd. I wonder what kind of gig they're going to pull this year? Are they going to embarrass themselves so much that they'll jump off a building? So here's one piece of advice for you and your faggot of a manager: know your place, wretch."

"What will you do, Nepgear?" whispered the boy, knowing very well that the girl wouldn't be able to hear him.

The Candidate merely closed her eyes and took a deep breath. A moment passed and she opened them while saying, "If that would be all, you may crawl back to the dampest pits you slithered out from. Needlessly insulting and defaming another café just for the sake of decreasing our morale…. How shallow…"

That struck a nerve on the other maid whom balled her hand into a fist, "Why you little shit."

Dom moved in at that moment yet found out that the people in his way wouldn't budge. He can only watch as Nepgear stared down at the fist that was flying to strike her.

_**THUD**_

"Wha—Who the hell are you?!" cried the offending maid in frustration.

Someone, a girl with long brown hair broke from the crowd and caught the maid's wrist at the last second. Her brown eyes were filled with cold fury as she increased the pressure on the wrist she just caught, twisting it making the other maid squeal in pain. She raised her free hand and took off her face mask, this person was…

"Me? You can call me _senior_," growled Dia through gritted teeth, breathing hard.

"M-Miss Dia!" yelped the Candidate as she recognized the brunette.

"S-Senior? Wait… You're… _that_ person? W-Why are you siding with this piece of sh—" the maid's curse was cut off as pain surged through her captured wrist.

"You will run back to your café and you will not show your face here ever again, do you understand," hissed the female protagonist, her words sharper than a hot knife through butter.

The green clad maid whimpered as if she were whipped and frantically nodded her head. Dia roughly released her as she ran away with her friend, obviously crying all the way having been embarrassed. That was when the crowd around them gave her a round of applause, probably for defending the lilac haired girl in her need. Her best friend finally broke through the crowd and arrived at their side.

"You just had to be the big damned hero, huh?" he asked as he crossed his arms.

"Cut me some slack, I caught a cold," muttered the brunette as she turned away. Her ears were red, to think she would force herself to attend despite being sick.

"C-Cold? Why didn't you tell me?!" said the Candidate in shock and worry, "Y-you were always in your room and, and… and… wouldn't come out… and… Goodness me…"

Blinking in confusion, Dia asked, "Eh? What? What's the matter? Hey you're leaving me in the dark here."

"She thinks you hate her for not attending your practice on that rainy day," admitted Dom to which the lilac haired girl jumped and shot him a pathetic look.

"H-hate? Whoa, whoa you think I'm mad?" the brunette then broke into a series of laughter, much to the other girl's discomfort.

"I mean… I was selfish and… I went out without your permission," muttered Nepgear while staring at her shoes.

"I'm not mad, no, it's true," explained Dia, "You see, when I got home, I realized how much an idiot I am for not packing an umbrella when I went out but that's when I had my cold. I locked myself in my room since I wouldn't want you to get sick since you have your big day. Hmm, the reason I probably didn't respond was because I was asleep. I recover better when sleeping you know? "

"I-Is that so…? Then you're not…" began the Candidate only to falter in her words.

"She's not angry as you can see," Dom put in helpfully, "Though it's basically her fault for not giving you a cellpho—GUK!"

"Yeah, yeah, anyhow you better start working," said the brunette as she addressed the other girl after punching her best friend, "This is the moment you've been waiting for. So make Dia proud."

"I will!" with that, the Candidate rushed back into the café in bright spirits.

The boy clutched his stomach as he recovered, watching Nepgear go back in the building with her smile back on its place. To his best friend, he asked, "Why… Why did you lie to her?"

"I think it's better that way…" replied Dia with a smile.

And so started the annual Akihabara Maid Café Competition.

* * *

It has been two hours into the contest and things weren't faring well for the cafe maids of Meido no Paradaisu. The main objective of the various cafés were to gather as many customers as they can to their establishments using various methods that would've been considered appropriate by the contest management. There was a large LCD screen on each café depicting on how many customers had entered their cafes as well as their rivals. Suffice to say that Nepgear's place was lacking enough to land themselves in third place with the café of the mean maids earlier in the league.

Everyone was pushing themselves to the limit yet maintaining a sense of elegance and warmth to their customers. It must've been hard for them to worry on the amount of people entering while not allowing it to show on their face. Their service was precise and punctual; the skills in which they used to brew their teas and cleaned up spills and messes were superb. Admittedly, they should be on first place by then. The problem was despite that, they lacked sufficient space to house all of their customers.

Even if they did their best and gave their best, they were still lagging behind due to the few people their building was able to accommodate. At this rate, they would have to resort to using the outside and set up extra tables. And that's what they just did. With the same skill and speed, they set up more twenty tables at the outside of the café, only to find that the air was being bombarded by the loud music coming from the rival café, Heart to Moe, and it seemed like that the customers were not liking that one bit.

"Damn, with that kind of racket no one would want to eat outside," commented Dom as he and Dia watched from the sidelines, "We need to do something…"

"We can't, contest rules. Any outsider interfering during the competition will lead the participating café to be disqualified," explained the brunette, not batting an eye at the noisy mini concert, "but you have to admit, their music's pretty good for a bunch of worms…"

"Hmm…" the boy seemed to be deep in thought as he stared at the mini concert.

"What are you planning?" asked the girl in a concerned tone, though it seemed like she was more concerned on what would be outcome of her friend's scheming.

"I'm heading out for a bit, going to talk to Toshio," replied Dom as he stood up and left. He stopped on his tracks and turned around, "Do. Not. Pick. Fights, mmkay?"

"Yes Dad…" grumbled Dia as she released a deep sigh.

…..

….

…

Within our favorite Candidate's café, though, things were getting hectic. The various café maids were all working at full speed while not missing a beat with their service. Though if this would continue, everyone would be too tired to serve anyone properly. The girls weren't showing it in their faces, yet they were starting to show signs of strain.

Since she was a CPU Candidate, Nepgear's stamina and endurance were a cut above everyone else since they were all human, yet not even she could take all of the customer's orders at the same time without making a blunder. It was three hours after the contest had started and they only had about two hours left until it finishes. Everyone was already low on morale and were gasping for breath every time they entered the kitchen. On top of that, the racket outside wasn't making anything better. They had to move some of these people outside to give them a free reign with their movements. Having the place packed wasn't helping matters.

After serving a family of three with her outstanding performance, she immediately retreated to the kitchen where she would be able to cool off. Once she entered though, she barely managed to go into a corner before her knees collapsed. Thankfully she managed to catch herself on a wall to prevent herself from falling.

_No… not yet, I can't fall just yet,_ she thought as she wiped sweat from her forehead. Nepgear jumped in surprise as she realized on how many of her co-workers were at the kitchen too, breathing hard as they overexerted themselves.

"It's always like this," muttered a voice nearby which the Candidate recognized as Rika's, "Every year we work ourselves to death (hehe, just kidding) yet it's still the same. We always fall on last place. No matter what we do… Hopeless, isn't it?"

"We… need to keep fighting. We can't just lose like this," replied the lilac haired girl as she panted for breath, "It's… Not as hopeless as you think…"

"Really?" Rika uttered a small giggle before continuing, "Wow… I heard about what happened just before the contest. You... got involved with a fight with those maids, right?"

"Yes… They also said some pretty nasty things to the manager… and to everyone else," explained the Candidate.

"Did you believe them?" asked the other girl.

"Of course not," replied Nepgear, "Because I know… That they were lying… Everyone here's simply too nice, too kind to be what they said. Even if it were true, I don't care. What matters is what's in the present. Not the past, right?"

"I see…" the cosplaying girl then walked towards the door leading to the dining room, "What do you say we show them the pride we have as café maids? Maybe spice things up a bit too…"

Nodding at her co-worker's words, Nepgear pushed the door open with her. Only to find Dom and Dia's back facing them. To their surprise, the two best friends had a couple of stupid grins on their faces as they turned around. Both of their eyes fixed on the Candidate.

"Gear-chan~, just the girl we wanted to see," said the boy as he and the girl beside him advanced on the quaking CPU.

"We've been waiting~," said the brunette with the same grin on her face.

"Wh-What are you two doing?" asked Nepgear, turning to her side only to find that her co-worker was missing, "R-R-Rika-chan! Why did you abandon me?! Wa-Wait, Miss Dia! Master Dom! What are you planning?"

"Planning? Oh not much," mused Dom as he revealed a microphone on his left hand.

"Just planning on fighting fire, with more fire," finished Dia as she presented a neatly folded outfit in her arms.

"E-Eh?"

"We're giving you the chance on making 5pb. proud," both said in perfect chorus.

* * *

An hour and thirty minutes left. A stage has been set just outside Meido no Paradaisu's building, albeit a small one compared to the one Heart to Moe's. It merely consisted of wooden floors and a background with badly drawn bricks, the logo of the café hanging above on a written cardboard.

The sky above was getting dark once more yet it seemed like a small crowd of people gathered around the stage to see what all the hoopla was about. Many of them were curious on why such a simple stage would be made when there was a much bigger and grander one just across the street, the others were simply sick of staying of the other café's music so they decided to kill some time there.

A lot of the first café's customers were getting frustrated on how long they had to stand outside due to the amount of people already occupying the seats on the inside. Meido no Paradaisu had to act fast if they wanted to win, and the chance to act would've been now.

"Hmph, you ready Gear?" asked Dom into his microphone as he sat in a dim room, stretching his arms on either side.

"Yes," replied Nepgear as she waited behind the stage.

"We have the green, Dom, tell the DJ to hit it," said Dia into her own mic as she glanced at the café maids behind her on standby.

"Hey Toshio, hit the damn thing," chuckled the boy as the cross dressing manger beside unleashed what his hidden speakers could do.

Outside, lights blared from the opposite building and focused on the makeshift stage while faint eight bit music slowly grew louder and louder followed by a beat which complimented the tones. This went for a few seconds before the electric guitars made themselves known in the hidden speakers, creating a magnificent and upbeat melody.

The spotlights were alternating between pink, purple, and white just as an explosion of white fog burst forth. The white curtain dissipated just in time for Nepgear's full form to be revealed and for her to hit the first verse of the song. With the moves of a Japanese pop idol, she enchanted her audience and made them sway side to side at her voice. That's what they were aiming for; the Candidate had to gather more people.

Hitting the chorus, Nepgear cut loose and worked her magic.

"Wow, it worked better than I thought," commented Dom, "Look, the guys across the street shut their mouths already."

"Dom! People are occupying the seats outside, it's working!" yelled Dia on her mic, though she sounded happy.

"Tell Gear to keep doing what she's doing," replied the boy, to Toshio he said, "Amp it up a bit!"

"Don't tell me what to do!" yelled the cross dressing manager and the brunette.

It seemed like her magic was indeed working. For some reason, the crowd had grown larger than ever before while the music played and the Candidate performed. She continued singing and letting her voice reach them, it seemed like her song was reaching the heavens since the gray clouds were beginning to part. The cheerful beat of the speakers accompanied by the voice of a girl next in line to become a Goddess was nothing short of magnificent.

The customers and normal shoppers alike watched as the lone girl with lilac hair entertained them with both song and dance. Her movements were graceful while her voice sounded so soothing. Every café maid within Nepgear's café felt as if energy was just injected into them and revived their bright smiles. The crowds' cheering was so infectious that the people in the café stood up from their seats and looked outside just to see what was going on, all while carrying their tea and food with them.

A lot of people were now occupying the tables set outside of the café, enjoying the Candidate's music and the great food they were having. Nepgear made them all smile, laugh and sing with her. It was truly an enjoyable moment. Not even the sounds from the opposite café were enough to bar out the cheers of the lilac haired girl's crowds and her music.

As she were to reach the very middle of her song, the wooden stage which she was standing on suddenly changed, turning into jet black for a moment before ripples of every color appeared every time she took a step. Green, red, blue, and purple appeared with every step she took. It turned out that the wooden appearance the stage had was false and that it was a CG projector.

"Where are you getting this stuff?" asked Dia as she signaled a burst of purple confetti and for the lights at the foot of the stage to activate.

"Storage room," replied Dom, stifling a laugh.

"You're kidding me, right?" deadpanned the brunette.

"Some things are better left unanswered," said the boy in a cryptic tone. He then added on an unrelated note, "I love character songs. To think she knows this, priceless. You know what, screw realism."

The Candidate had finally hit the final verse as the song reached its climax. At this she gave it all her all, pulling all the moves she learned from her time at Leanbox to the test. With a final twirl, she flourished her right arm forward as the song came to a close. Breathing hard, she gave the crowd before her a smile before bowing for the final time. The crowd's cheer erupted as the performance ended, charging into café.

Nepgear found Dia in her hiding place along with the other café maids clapping their hands at her performance. She then hugged the brunette with all her might, tears of joy at edge of her eyes. The two laughed at a job well done and soon retreated back into the café.

That day, Meido no Paradaisu lost via disqualification in the annual Akihabara Maid Café Competition for the first time in four years. Totally worth it…

* * *

_Nicolas Notes: _

_Greetings dear reader once again. This has been quite fast. no? Merely four days have gone by and here I am again. _

_As you can see, this chapter is the product of my head after watching and reading countless slice of life mangas. I do hope you'll forgive me should this not be up to your tastes. Ah well, that is how I roll. The main theme for this chapter would be Mundane Awesomeness. Maid cafe's are serious business and I may have applied Author hax here and there on some places. I seriously want a cosplay cafe to open up during our school festivals, alas, fate is cruel._

_Please tell me I'm the only one who's eyes bled from a few from the dialogue. Heh, yes I'm exaggerating, but the story once more writes itself. It's as if their really alive. Their personalities, agendas, motivations, and attitudes are a core influence on the things they say. ho hum..._

_A lot of things here are created out of thin air. The competition, cafe names, etc. So in a way, I own them? No? I dunno. _

_I couldn't resist turning Gear into an idol even just for a moment. If you're curious as to what she sang, you can search up her character song on youtube. Now play that song while imagining her channeling 5pb. Go on._

_Welp, that's all for now. As always, my dear readers, do not heistate to tell me what you think. I'll be more than happy to answer all of your questions, but that is only if their within my knowledge. I. am. walking. on. thin. ICE._

_Please take note this isn't the end of the Nepgear arc. That's for the next chapter. I'll be happy to see you guys there._

_See ya._

_Yahoo~_


	8. Chapter 8: The Gear twisting End

It sure was a good day for shopping. The gray clouds finally parted a day ago, giving the world below a clear view of the beautiful heavens. Birds chirped and sang over the light foot traffic on the busy streets below. It was the weekend which meant that school was over by lunch time. Oh the joy of the students could be felt in the very atmosphere; it was infectious in its own way. Men in suits were answering to their phones while mothers taking their children to the grocery were entertained by the ten percent off signs.

Groups of teenagers chatted idly with each other as they either made their way home or were heading to the nearest karaoke. Street vendors in the park called out to potential customers while public performers entertained their ever amazed crowd. It seemed peaceful. Too peaceful… Oh wait, there seemed to be a trio of gloomy kids blending in with the crowd.

"We lost…" mumbled the boy in a dead tone.

"It was worth it, right?" replied a brown haired girl in a dejected manner.

"P-Please! The aura both of you are emitting is bordering on disturbing!" cried their lilac haired companion while flailing her arms.

Ah yes. After Meido no Paradaisu's spectacular loss yesterday, Dia and Dom were forced to carry out errands for the victory party for the following night. Since it was due to their help did the café get disqualified, it was only proper for them to be punished. Hence why they were shopping out for decorations. Instead of moping about their loss, the café decided to throw a victory party for having shamed their rival café in the contest. Even if it was their loss, Meido no Paradaisu got their point across.

"But we wanna die…." Sighed the best friends in the same hollow tone.

"It won't do if both of you are dead by the time we finish shopping," countered Nepgear in uncharacteristically stern tone, "Come now, less complaining more buying!"

"Y-yes ma'am!" yelped Dia as she straightened up.

"A pain… in the ass this is…" groaned Dom as he slumped forward.

"Oh please, let's enjoy this while we can!" urged the Candidate with her usual personality, "Unlike, my big sister, I didn't get to be alone with you two all the time."

"Well, we can at least make the most of it," said the brunette while scratching her head.

"Not like we can do much," pointed out the boy, "I mean, we need to get these stuff by three o' clock so we can't afford to dilly dally. Say Dia, you got your dress for the party, right?"

"Ugh, when they said it was going to be a formal party I felt like puking," complained the human girl, "Ah, that reminds me, Nepgear, have you picked out what you're going to wear?"

"M-Me? Well… I don't really know…" replied the lilac haired girl while twiddling her thumbs, "Maybe… we can take a look? Clothes are nice after all and it would be bad to wear something embarrassing later on…"

"Good timing, we have a department store not far from the place we're going," said Dom as he was deep in thought, "You two go on ahead and get your clothes, I'll handle the decorations, but make sure you're there once I'm done. I don't want to lug them all by myself."

"Heh, you're supposed to be the man here, do it yourself," sneered Dia shooting a cruel look at her friend.

"Have you forgotten that this is your punishment too?" countered the boy in a bored fashion.

"Oh, so you'll feel better that I'll go do the job with you and leave Nepgear all alone is that what you're saying?" asked the brunette, "Or… would you rather accompany her to the clothes shop yourself?"

"To suggest something indecent… Dia, would you like me to rearrange your face?" retaliated the boy while giving his friend a false smile.

"I'd like to see you try," taunted the girl while giving her own false smile, complete with malevolent aura.

"M-Miss Dia! Look, the department store! L-let's go!" Nepgear grabbed the brunette's arm and towed her away before she can tear Dom apart. Watching the two girls disappear into the crowd of shoppers, the boy scratched the back of his head in an annoyed manner. So carefree, well now, it wasn't like he can do anything about it.

He then turned into the opposite direction. He just hoped that his deduction was wrong.

* * *

Once the two girls entered the store, Nepgear immediately got lost. Lucky for her, Dia had a sharp eye and found her just as quickly as she disappeared, dragging her off into the women's section not long after. There were quite a few people that day so they killed their time by looking at clothes and contemplating whether which one would be best suited to be worn for the night. With her usual air-headed curiosity, the Candidate managed to acquire herself a pair of… rather interesting lingerie to which the brunette quickly snatched from her grasp and placed it back to where it belonged.

After a five minute lecture, the two resumed their search for a proper dress. One time they stopped in front of a mannequin wearing a pure white one piece dress. It had a lot of ribbons and frills, making it a bit childish. Dia thought that it would suit the Candidate and immediately called for an employee to give her a sample, all while restraining a struggling girl within her arms. The employee soon came back with the dress and all Nepgear could do was whimper as her friend worked her magic.

Two rather… interesting minutes later, the Candidate walked out of the changing room as she wore the dress. Surprisingly enough, it looked good on her. She had her hair turned into a side pony tail which cascaded down her left shoulder. Her eyes timidly glanced at the mirror before her before they went wide eyed in surprise. The dress brought out an air of innocence as well as a bit of maturity about her, contrasting well with each other. Though her usual striped knee socks didn't quite fit the image, replacing them with white ones would remedy that.

With a satisfied grin, Dia gave her the thumbs up, ignoring the fact that her friend was blushing like mad. She then waited for a bit as Nepgear got changed again before heading to the counter to purchase the dress. Once they have left the store, the lilac haired girl picked the right timing to recall something.

"Ah. Wait, we may have forgotten something," she said while tugging at Dia's sleeve.

"Hm? What's that?" asked the other girl.

The lilac haired girl fidgeted a bit before replying, "Um… What about your dress? Aren't you going to get one?"

Thinking about it for a moment, the brunette then cracked a bright smile while saying, "I already have mine. It's nothing grand or as cute as yours, but it's A-Okay! So don't worry, I'll be alright."

"Really? Well, it seems that it's good. I always bought clothes back home so it's my first time shopping with a friend," the Candidate breathed a sigh as she looked ahead, "Well now, shall we go? Adrian's probably waiting for us. It might be rude to keep him waiting any longer."

"Meh, you're right," agreed the human girl with a shrug. Carrying their purchases, they walked towards where Dom was. On the way, the female protagonist spoke up, "So… Once we're done, where do you want to go? We have an hour left you know? Hmm, how about the arcade?"

Feeling a bit uncomfortable, the Candidate said, "I… I don't like Arcades that much. Too noisy, eheheh."

"Noisy, huh?" muttered Dia while looking at the sky.

* * *

The afternoon ended with not much happening. The two girls arrived to their meeting place with the boy, just to find him waiting patiently outside a store with a bunch of boxes surrounding him. It was a strange sight to see him so composed when usually at times like this, he would throw a fit. He then explained to them with very harsh choice of words on how late they were that he had enough time to think of painful words to sya to them before they arrived. While Nepgear apologized over and over again, Dia merely sighed and exasperation as she went to lift her designated boxes.

They didn't talk much as they went back to the café and dropped the decorations there. The maids who were there told them that they did enough for the day and that they could go home if they wanted. Dom was more than happy at this news and bid the two girls' good bye, telling them not to be late for the victory party that evening. The lilac haired girl and brunette did the same, heading home to take a bath and get some rest. It should be a few hours before the party so maybe sleeping was also an option.

Yet for some reason, time flew fast and the three were now standing before the café, obviously closed for the day yet there was light inside as many girls chatted and told stories to each other. They were all in all having a good time. Dom sighed at their carefree personalities whereas now was….

"FORMAL, DOM. IT SAID ON THE FREAKING PAMPHLET!" roared Dia with very angry eyes. If looks could kill, the boy would've been killed thirteen times over, "WEARING SIMPLE PANTS, A T-SHIRT AND A COAT ISN'T FORMAL! THAT'S OUTRIGHT STUPIDITY IF YOU'RE GOING TO A PARTY! YOU HEAR ME! HAVE SOME DECENCY DAMMIT!"

"M-Miss Dia, there's no need to shout. W-Waahh…." Nepgear desperately tried to calm her friend down, however her efforts seemed to be for nothing since the brunette looked like she was one step away from actually knocking her best friend unconscious.

"My ears are already deaf, don't worry," replied Dom to the Candidate with a weak smile.

Finally calming down enough to speak in a normal tone, the brunette then said, "Great. Now what are you going to do? You'll look stupid…"

"Aww, Dia's worried about my appearance, isn't that cute?" teased the boy with a smirk on his lips.

"Even when she's angry, Miss Dia's so kind," followed up the lilac haired girl.

"YOU TWO!" yelled the human girl.

"And so the heroic trio has arrived," said a voice, only for it to be revealed as Toshio walking out of the front door. Much to the three people's surprise, he was wearing a normal tuxedo complete with bow tie. His raven black hair covered his ears while his fringed were neatly combed. At his side was a pretty girl in an equally pretty dress, it must've been his girlfriend. With a wave of his hand he continued, "What are you three doing out here? Seriously, to be on the streets dressed like that, you girls are asking for trouble."

"Is this prom night?" asked Dom with narrowed eyes.

Ignoring his question, the manager then took a glance at what Dia was wearing and immediately chuckled, "Oh my… You look stunning, Miss Reigning Dial."

"S-S-Shut up! It's rude to compliment other girls when you have your own at your side," said the brunette with a faint blush on her cheeks. Tsundere alert. Though one has to admit, she did look pretty. She had her hair done and was now tied into twin tails which ended in ringlets. Her dress seemed to reveal a bit of her chest yet not all the way, merely exposing her collarbone while her neck was wrapped by a dark choker like fabric. The clothes she wore had a red black color scheme, complimenting well with her striped knee socks and detached sleeves.

It looked more like she was cosplaying a gothic Lolita character than attending a party. Compared to Nepgear's rather childish appearance, Dia looked like the mature elder sister between the two.

"Please don't worry," said the girl beside the manager, "What Toshio says here is true, you really do look good, Miss Dia."

"E-Eheheh, please… Stop complimenting me now…" requested Dia while slapping a palm on her face.

"Hmm, I see, so tying someone's hair into ringlets automatically gives them the ability to be a Tsundere," muttered Dom as he arrived at a strange conclusion.

"Y-You really think so?" asked Nepgear while glancing at the boy.

"Heh, seriously D. Stop it, it's disgusting," he said with an amused look.

"It's not like I'm wearing it because I want to!" cried the human girl while shooting him a glare.

"I think that's enough teasing for now. Let's get inside, we can't start without you three," said the manager while gesturing the trio inside. Seeing that they've delayed their entrance long enough, the three friends entered the café. The decorations they previously brought that afternoon turned out to look better than what they expected.

Despite the simplicity, it really did bring out a festive mood around the café. They didn't even need to decorate much since the building was already designed in a unique way. The tables were covered with white cloth while the usual Victorian styled chairs had their cream cushions replaced with velvet ones. The lights were even given special attention having been replaced with brighter ones, the fake chandelier shining and gleaming as if it were the real deal. At the corner was a long table where various dishes and treats were laid out for display.

Every employee wore different dresses seeing how most of them were girls. They seemed to be enjoying the night being with each other's company. Most of the talk was about their victory over their rival café while the rest were typical girl stuff. Dom felt a bit out of place so he spent the better half of his walk across the place scratching his head.

"So far so good," he muttered as he crossed his arms and gave the café a quick look, "Man, not a single gloomy face, huh?"

"Hmph, after that stunt we pulled, those Heart to Moe maids are going to think twice before looking down on this place," said Dia while sipping from a glass she took from a passing café maid. Apparently some of them volunteered to serve their fellow co-workers despite being invited to the party themselves.

"You sure are harsh even to your past work place," pointed out the boy, "Still… Even if this place lost, it isn't like customers are suddenly going to stop coming, right?"

"I know, that's why even then, it was all worth it," replied the brunette with a smile, "best part of it is that Nepgear managed to show something she usually hides."

"Well, at least she had a good time. Unlike…well…you know…" Dom's words eventually faltered into incoherent mumbling. However his best friend knew what he was talking about. It seemed that he was still feeling a bit guilty on how he treated Neptune during her stay here. In fact, she noticed how kind he was to Nepgear, excluding the fact that she's his favorite character. The incident with Neptune was still fresh in their minds, that's why they were more than happy to extend their help to the Candidate when she popped out of nowhere.

Both still felt a little guilt, and they were both determined to change that.

These past few days, they may have roughed up their relationship with Nepgear a bit, however after yesterday's contest, all misunderstanding were ironed out. If things were to be like this, then they won't mind. Having a dull summer vacation wasn't in their list and they were sure as hell that they weren't going to make it a gloomy one.

Nepgear seemed to be having fun testing out the various dishes from the long table.

"Yo!" called Toshio as he walked over to the two friends, "Having fun?"

"Hm, you could say that," replied Dom with a neutral expression, "Just keeping an eye on our pet."

"After what happened, we can't let her out of our sight. We'll be doomed if something were to happen to Nepgear," said Dia with a heavy sigh.

"I see. As usual you two aren't interesting at all," chuckled the manager, "Anyhow, do any of you know how to fix the stereo? Seems like a few screws went loose after yesterday's event."

"Well if there's anyone who could fix it, you can ask Nepgear," suggested the boy in a casual manner, "She has a history of knowing how to tinker with that kind of stuff."

"Really? Strange since when we taught her how to use the cash register, she freaked out a bit," recalled Toshio as he put on his 'thinking face', "I was under the impression back then that she's not used to machines."

"She's that kind of girl," put in the brunette with a chuckle.

"I see, well I guess I'll look for someone else then. You two have a good date," said the manager before skipping merrily away, barely dodging a left hook from the girl.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" she snarled with her eyes blazing, "Grr, I'm going to castrate that guy with a pinecone… Oi, what's with you? Of all times to be quiet."

"Hmm, I don't know," muttered Dom. A smile appeared on his lips before he walked past his best friend, "You go have fun by yourself. I have something to do."

* * *

Nepgear was caught between a crowd of fans and co-workers alike. Though mostly her co-workers turned fans. They relentlessly bombarded her with question she couldn't really give a straight answer to, like where did she learn those idol moves, how did she get the courage to go on stage like that, where did she get such an awesome singing voice and so on. It was really unlike the times when she was back at her home in Planeptune. At least back then, the people that gathered around her stopped at a respectful distance or politely asking her for an autograph. This was really too much for her to take.

But then again it's not like she could just send them away. These girls became a part of her daily life this past few days just as much as she spent time with Dia and Dom. They were here friends and she enjoyed her time with them. But still, even if she did enjoy her time with them…

"Ahh~ P-please! Stop!" cried the Candidate as she struggled from one of her co-worker's grip.

"Hehehe, now, now. This is only proper skin ship between us friends. It's only normal," giggled a girl in her maid uniform, complete with evil eye and perverted smirk.

"B-But you can't! Please don't!" pleaded Nepgear with teary eyes as she continued her futile attempt to get away. It was useless since she was being held down by four girls.

"Gear-chan looks sooooooo cute in her dress. Makes me wonder how she keeps her skin so smooth," cackled the girl named Rika with a faint blush on her cheeks.

"S-S-Someone p-please help!" squealed the lilac haired girl.

"Hm, you girls seem to be having fun," said a boy's voice. Everyone then turned to look at Dom approaching them, probably coming to Nepgear's rescue. With an uncharacteristically warm smile he said, "I'll be borrowing her for a second, so if you can just let her go."

"Tch, you're no fun at all! Bleh!" said a girl in blue dress while sticking out her tongue. At his words, the girls let the Candidate go, causing her to make a mad dash mad hide behind the boy. She would peek from behind his shoulder from time to time though.

"Yeah, yeah I heard that crap before. Anyhow, I ordered some western cuisine from a catering service. You girls better stay put and wait for it," said Dom with the same smile before walking away with Nepgear in tow.

"W-Western cuisine?! Wow, we'll finally be able to eat steak! Hey Rika can you believe it!?"

The two left the celebrating employees behind as the boy made his way to the unknown location. They passed by a few more people before the music and chatter gradually died down. The Candidate seemed curious as to where the boy was leading her and glanced occasionally ahead to look at his face. She saw how he had an unreadable expression on his face, it was hard to know what he was thinking. She almost yelped as he suddenly came to a halt, causing her to collide with his back.

"S-Sorry," she mumbled apologetically.

"Watch where you're going next time," sighed the boy as he scratched his head, "Anyway, we're almost there."

"Where?" asked the Candidate.

"The kitchen, of course," replied Dom in an excited manner.

Sure enough a familiar door appeared before them. Opening it seeing that it was unlocked, the two entered the kitchen to find it devoid of people. Compared to the party at the dining area, this place were cold, dark, and somehow bordering in creepy. There was a cool air hanging around them, causing Nepgear to rub her exposed arms a little to provide warmth.

She entered this place quite a number of times. On her first day when her seniors showed her the ropes, they gave her crash course on where the chefs worked. This was where she taught them to make her prized pancakes which were a hit to the masses. She enjoyed teaching them, occasionally learning a bit more recipes for when she got back home to Planeptune. The girl let that thought hang for a while.

It was inevitable. If her sister returned from this world back to Gamindustri, then it was only too obvious that she too would go back. It was no use clinging to this place since it wasn't her real home. Sooner or later she will have to go back and leave all of her friends. Now that she thought about it, had her sister felt these emotions too, thought about this like she did? Her sister made friends, Dia and Dom, yet she left them. Was it going to be that way with her too? She didn't like leaving her workmates and yet… it had to be done…

"Hmm, let's see," muttered Dom as he stuck his head inside a refrigerator, "Ah, good. They left some pudding here… Oh well, finders keepers. So, are you enjoying so far? Your stay I mean…"

"Yes. I'm… having fun. It was all thanks to you and Miss Dia," replied the Candidate with one of her warm smiles.

"Heh, just like what the real Nepgear would say," chuckled the boy as he straightened up and held up the cupped pudding, "You're really a good actor you know?"

…..

_Huh?_

Dom ate a bit of his pudding before pointing the plastic spoon in his hand at the lilac haired girl, "You're not…. The real Nepgear, aren't you?"

There was silence, soon to be followed by the Candidate nervously stuttering, "What are you saying? I'm… I'm Nepgear, I can't be anyone else, can't I? I-I don't g-get you."

"You're not fooling me with your bullshit anymore," snarled the boy in a steely tone, "Enough of your fucking games, Nepgeo."

The girl fell silent at that. Her face slowly turned to the floor, her eyes became empty as her hands fell limply at her sides. The air was thick with tension yet the two remained unmoving. Somehow the whole room seemed to feel colder. Dom's eyes never left the lilac haired girl's face. A couple of heart beats passed by before she smiled. Not long after that her face broke into an amused grin before she began giggling. The sounds echoed along the tiled walls and floor, a sound of sheer mockery of Nepgear's voice.

The boy felt disgusted.

A few seconds passed by before the girl finally calmed herself down, cruel light glinting from behind those purple eyes, "I see… How long have you known, Mister detective?"

"You just confirmed it now," replied Dom as he shot her a glare, "Guess my intuition wasn't wrong. I've had my suspicions, only now did I try to test it out. Nepgear never arrived in this world from the very beginning. The one who performed on the stage and acted as a maid was you all along."

"Correct and wrong at the same time," giggled Nepgeo with a mocking smile, "Apparently, you did meet the real Nepgear prior to our little switch. But at one point, she disappeared and I replaced her. To think it would be that easy. Still… to be found out by bastard like you… Just where did I go wrong?"

This time the boy returned her smile with his own, "Well now… Every Neptunia player would know or at least do some research on their character on the game or on the internet. Seeing how Gear's a personal favorite of mine, I know every minute detail about her. Same goes for the rest of the cast. I know her traits, characteristics, thought process, personality, attitude, likes, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses and you've managed to convince me in only a number of those things. Sure you had her looks and appearance, however you fatal flaw was that you didn't know her that much to perfect your disguise. You're a failure."

"And yet why didn't you point out that I wasn't the real one back then?" asked the faux Candidate, "Don't tell me… It's because I was still needed, hm?"

"You had my hands tied back then so I couldn't do much," replied Dom as he ate a bit of his pudding, "Besides, we needed someone to perform on the stage. And you did it magnificently; I gotta thank you for that."

"The pleasure was mine," said Nepgeo with a brief curtsy, "And my plan was going so well too… Of course, you were always there to obstruct my path whether on purpose or not. When you said you were keeping an eye on the girl, you weren't kidding. Staying at the café from opening to the point Nepgear's shift ends, I'm impressed. To think that you'll hang around this place and see through that she makes it to Dia's meeting place safe and sound, you'll be perfect as the CPU's lapdog."

"So you were the cause then, huh?" the boy raised an eye brow, "No wonder I felt as if someone was watching us. Even when I was at Dia's house the first night the Candidate stayed. Were you there too?"

"Yes," confirmed the faux Candidate, "I've always been there. Since the very beginning of Gear's arrival. All I had to do was wait for the perfect opportunity to switch with her without you noticing. Alas, that seemed to have failed during our very first encounter at the storage room."

"That hairclip of yours was a dead giveaway," pointed out Dom, "You were changing during that time, correct?"

"Pervert," teased Nepgeo with a sweet smile, "You're a very sharp person. So you played along just so I would let down my guard, hm? It doesn't seem like you had me fooled either."

"Just what the fuck do you want?" growled the boy, his cold glare intensifying, "If you're not the real Nepgear, then where is she? Where did you take her?"

The lilac haired girl let out a laugh at that, shaking her head in amusement, "Does… hehehehe… Does it…hehehe… look like I'm going to tell you? Besides, what are you going to do if I don't? No one's going to believe that I'm an evil twin of the kind, lovable, and sweet Gear-chan? The police won't help you since you don't have any concrete evidence. There's no help from anyone, in the end you're all alone. You're the only one who knows. Poor, poor Dummy…"

"What I'm going to do?" asked Dom as he cracked his knuckles, "I'm going to take matters into my hands. But tell me one thing. Just what the hell are you planning? You have Nepgear; just what else do you want?"

"Histoire's page, you have it and I need to get it," replied Nepgeo as she hid her hands behind her, going as far as to mock the boy with Nepgear's voice, "You made the mistake of dragging me out here all by yourself, with no backup. How stupid could you be?"

"I'm going to kill you…" snarled Dom.

"Not if I kill you first," giggled the girl as she leaned forward and revealed her hands, her right hand traveling back before throwing an object into the air. For single moment, the boy froze, it was too dark to know what was flying towards him yet it was already too late to dodge when he did. All he could do was raise both of his hands in defense.

There was the sound of blade hitting flesh echoing around.

"Hahahaha, to think you have the balls to block a throwing knife with your arms, you wanna die or something?" taunted Nepgeo as she watched the boy breath heavily before her.

Gritting his teeth, Dom could feel the warm gush of blood streaming down his sleeve as the knife imbedded itself on his forearm. Blinking away the pain, he placed his right hand on the handle and yanked it out. He dropped the knife and covered his wound with his hand as his injured arm trembled. That one glare he sent the lilac haired girl was the only warning she got when he suddenly charged at her.

All she did was hop backwards in order to go out of range of her opponent's kick. Moving fast, she then placed her hands on his outstretched foot and pushed it upwards, sending Dom falling on the floor. He would've been impaled by a knife in the stomach had he not rolled out of the way. Scrambling back on his feet, he managed to avoid a flying knife by a hair's breadth. The girl was serious when she said she was going to kill him. This was dangerous.

"Hmph, not so tough now are you?" she taunted as she took a few steps forward, "Don't worry, I'll make this quick and easy."

"Fuck you," spat Dom as he balled his injured hand into a fist.

"Ah, ah, ahhh…" said the girl as she casually leaned on a metal counter, tilting her head to the side as she did. There was a large array of kitchen knives just behind her, all but a few inches from the edge of her vision, "You could either tell me where the page is or do I have to do this the hard way?"

"Like hell I'll tell you!" yelled the boy in defiance.

Nepgeo's smile just turned crueler, "That's what I thought…"

In a blink of an eye, she managed to travel from the counter she was sitting on to a few feet before Dom. All he managed to see was the wicked light from the knife she held before pain exploded on his gut.

_It hurts… Guk… No… Dia… Run…_

Everything went black…

* * *

Dia blinked in surprise. She suddenly turned her head around, looking for something she herself didn't know. Somehow, the drink in her hand didn't see delicious anymore. Calling to a waitress, she gave her the glass before walking around once more. It's been a while since her best friend disappeared after giving her that cryptic message. She couldn't help but be worried for some reason. A sudden chill in the air caused her to rub her arms to keep them warm.

Everyone was still having a good time; they were all oblivious to the distressed expression she was making. It didn't look like the party was going to end soon, so it may be better to stick around until Nepgear got tired before going home. Then again, she didn't see the Candidate around for a while now. Not a single trace of that familiar lilac hair among the girls of the café. This could be bad, the last time she lost sight of the girl she was lucky that nothing bad happened to her. Who knows what would happen if she disappeared again.

Something was very, very wrong. And she could feel it. That was when she felt a cold hand touch her shoulder.

By instinct, she whirled around as fast as she could, only to find Nepgear blinking in surprise, "Ah, sorry I thought it was someone else."

"It's okay. It's my fault for surprising you," apologized the Candidate with a sad smile.

"That's weird; you were gone for a while. Just where did you go?" asked Dia in a concerned tone.

The lilac haired girl fidgeted a bit as she avoided eye contact, "W-Well… it seemed like Mister Adrian developed a stomachache so I had to see him off. He said that he's sorry that he couldn't stay for long."

Slapping a hand on her forehead, the brunette released a frustrated sigh, "Good grief, that idiot… He's hopeless… But next time, let me know where you're going, okay? I can't have myself worrying all the time, you know?"

"I see. Well… Miss Dia?" Nepgear held her friend's wrist while having a faint blush in her cheeks, much to the other girl's confusion, "If…If it's okay with you… Can we take our leave now? I… I have something to show you."

"Huh? Show me?" asked Dia in bewilderment, "Hmm, just what is it? Can't you show it now?"

A bright smile appeared upon the Candidate's lips as she replied, "It's. A. Secret."

"So you're going to play this one out, huh? Alright then," relented the human girl as she pulled Nepgear along with her. The two eventually found the manager and his girlfriend chatting by the entrance and said their farewells. The lilac haired girl and the brunette waved them goodbye before the former took the latter by the hand and ran off to their unknown destination.

…..

….

…

"Whoa hold on," said the female protagonist as she and her companion came to a halt before a pair of padlocked gates, "isn't this… Dom's school? Saigyozi? What are we doing here?"

"I found something interesting here. It's what I wanted to show you," replied the other girl, unlocking the gates which looked like they were locked in hindsight. The chains fell down on the floor and the gates swung open. She then turned to her friend and gestured her to follow, "Please, this way…"

"Ugh, I swear this is breaking and entering," grumbled Dia as she went along.

The school was deserted. Not a single guard or watchman present since the whole burning incident. Why would no one be present in a school this big when the fire only broke out on the east wing was beyond what the brunette could think of. Maybe the school had to close down for certain reasons. What those are she would never know. Just staring at the devoid school grounds gave her the creeps. A breeze blew by and she suddenly had to wrap her arms around her. She forgot that she was still in this ridiculous dress.

Her attention was caught by Nepgear whom was waving her arm at the distance. It seemed like the lilac haired girl was head towards the direction of the east wing.

_Doesn't she know that it's dangerous there?_ Thought Dia before following the other girl in her path.

The trees nearby swayed as another breeze passed overhead. The moon above cast enough light for Dia to see. Just on her right, the abandoned building of the east wing loomed above her. Seeing its size and shadow made her feel small. Maybe it was just the perspective, maybe it was just the eeriness of an empty school at night, yet for some reason she felt scared. That was the reason she kept her eye on the Candidate. She slowly wondered on where they were going.

Seeing the Candidate come to a halt in front of a door, the girl had to run all the way to her companion's side. Just as she arrived, Nepgear had managed to open a door without a key.

"Aren't these doors supposed to be locked? From robbers I mean," said the brunette as she and her companion entered a hallway, "Geez, this school's careless. No wonder that power grid exploded and caused all the fire…"

"Let's go, we're almost there," spoke the Candidate before walking towards a random direction. The human girl had no choice but to follow her.

She had never seen the inside of Saigyozi before, yet she knew that it was quite spacious. She wasn't wrong though, in the dim light cast by the moon, she could make out the light blue ceiling above her and the brown floor beneath her feet. Their footsteps echoed throughout the silent hall as the made their way through it. After a few minutes of walking, they managed to entered the lobby of the east wing building.

"Up, we need to go," said Nepgear before offering her hand to her friend, "You might trip yourself."

Taking the hand, Dia replied, "Thanks. Just where are we going? The second floor should be off limits since that's where the fire broke out. We could be in trouble."

"We're almost there, just a little bit further," muttered the Candidate as they made their way to the second floor.

Once they were there, the human girl saw just how much damage the fire caused. The concrete walls were slowly chipping away as they bore the blackened marks of being bathed in flames. Fragments from the fluorescent bulbs on the ceiling were left scattered on the floor and were left there. A few rooms were open since their doors were either knocked down by the firefighters back then or were turned into ash by the blaze. Nevertheless it didn't keep the place from being less creepy.

There was a red tape obstructing the two girls' way until the lilac haired one went over it. With an uneasy feeling in her gut, the brunette did the same and continued following her.

As they passed by the burned classrooms, Nepgear began to speak, "This city is pretty peaceful don't you think?"

"I don't know," muttered Dia while rubbing her right arm, "It has problems too you know. You may not have noticed it, at least not yet."

"It's peaceful alright. Which is good. The people here are fun and kind," said the Candidate, "I like them. The past few days, this world has grown on me and I've come to like it as well… I know it's impossible, but it would be nice if I got to stay here even for just a little while."

"I'm sorry… it's just how the way things are," replied the brunette in a sad tone, "Even if… we wanted you to stay… It could be dangerous for you. Dom and I couldn't risk that… Not after what happened to Neptune."

"I know…" sighed the lilac haired girl, "That's why… I wanted to spend my time with you as much as I can. This could be the last time that I'll ever set foot in this place… The last time I'll ever get to see that view…"

"View?" asked Dia in confusion, however her question was answered as Nepgear gestured her to enter a burned classroom.

"In here, look," she said while pointing her hand.

The human girl's breath was instantly taken away. Inside… was nothing more than a blackened classroom with scorched chairs and desks. The blackboard had a hole in it while the small shelf at the very beck of the room was slowly falling apart. Debris were scattered everywhere and cracked every time the girl took a step. However it was not the sorry state of the room that got the girl's attention.

Looking past the damaged room, was an obliterated window. Beyond it was a sea of lights, shining like a million stars on the earth. Taking a few more steps, she could practically a small portion of Tokyo lit up by a thousand light bulbs from homes, buildings, restaurants and a whole lot of other places. She could see a river of lights moving at a slow pace at a highway like some lazy river. It was quite spectacular; she hasn't realized the view of what a student saw while being up here.

Above her, the stars in the heavens shined just as bright as the stars on the earth. The moonlight from the sky entered the deserted classroom in the form of faint rays. It was…beautiful…

"Breathtaking isn't it?" asked the Candidate's voice from behind. A chill went up the brunette's spine which forced her to turn around, grabbing hold of her companion's wrist in the process. A knife was in her hand.

Dia's eyes travelled from the weapon in the lilac haired girl's hand to her face. In a split second she realized what was going on, "You're not Nepgear…."

Nepgeo's lips broke into a smile as she dropped the knife, using it to distract the brunette before sending out her free arm for a punch. This failed as the human girl caught it with her own free hand, forcing the faux Candidate to kick her in the stomach. Backing up while clutching her mid-section, she sent an icy glare of pure hate to the girl before her.

"You…" she breathed, "Who are you?"

"The name's Nepgeo, doppelganger of Nepgear, proud member of the ASIC. I'm here to take that page from you now," introduced the lilac haired girl, ending her words with a cruel smile.

"Page? What page?" asked Dia through gritted teeth. On whim she patted her dress pocket and felt something smooth within. Closing her eyes, she silently cursed her best friend, _Dom you idiot!_

"So I was right," Nepgeo giggled as she returned the other girl's glare with a warm smile, "Don't worry. If you be a good girl, you won't have to end up like your best friend."

The brunette's eyes widened as she shouted in rage, "Adrian, what did you do to Adrian you bitch!"

"Hush," replied the faux Candidate while placing a slender finger on her lips, "He's sleeping… I'll have to put you to sleep to if keep shouting… Or if you don't give me the page…"

"Like hell I will…" responded the human girl as she held back her anger, "I trusted you…"

"That's your fault. You never knew that I was different person from the beginning! Catch a cold? Don't make me laugh," said the lilac haired girl with a frown, "Only an air-head like the real Nepgear would fall for something like that. Seriously, couldn't you come up with a better excuse? You were intentionally avoiding her. I never knew you were that shallow."

"When? When did you take her? Was it during the rain?" asked Dia as she balled her hands into fists.

"Of course. It was the only time I had without you and the boy to interfere. You had no idea how easy it was," the faux Candidate laughed out loud at this point, "She was so surprised that I popped out of nowhere. Back in Gamindustri I could never lay a hand on her since she could turn into HDD at any moment and let me end up like that damned Underling. But here? Here, she's nothing more than a normal girl lost and confused in a strange foreign world. You should've heard her squeal when I took her and none of her co-workers seemed to know the difference between me and her. It was all perfect."

"Where is she? WHERE DID YOU TAKE HER?!" roared the brunette.

Nepgeo twirled a knife in her hand before pointing at the human girl before her, "You're going to meet her very soon…"

With that, she broke into a run, knife ready to cut Dia up at a moment's notice. She slashed diagonally yet her attack was dodged as her opponent sidestepped the blade. The lilac haired girl followed with a horizontal cut yet the brunette jumped out of range, using the chance to send a solid jab into her face. Catching the incoming fist with her free hand, she retaliated by twirling the knife and swung it with the intent of gutting her opponent. Reading her moves, the other girl thought fast and caught her wrist which held the weapon.

The two were on a dead lock as they refused to let one another go. That was when Dia decided to play dirty and stomped on her opponent's foot, using the chance Nepgeo's loosened grip to release her left fist and pull the lilac haired girl towards her, allowing her elbow to connect with her foe's chest. She then twisted the hand with the knife as far is it would go, forcing the faux Candidate to drop it.

The human girl felt a painful tug at the back of her head as her opponent pulled on her hair, followed by pain exploding on her lower back. She was then pulled backwards in order to make her easy target for the punch headed straight for her face. Raising her arms at the last second, she realized too late that it was a feint as the fist connected with her gut.

Dia collapsed on her knees as the other girl stood above her breathing hard. Pain filled her mind as Nepgeo retrieved her knife and stabbed downwards. In one last attempt to defy her death, the human girl caught the faux Candidate's writs once more, stopping the knife just inches above her face.

"You didn't think ASIC members weren't trained on actual combat, hm?" hissed the lilac haired girl, "It's those goddamned Goddesses fault for underestimating us… Your death will be for the glory of Arfoire… I will have that page. In the end you weren't able to do anything than delay the inevitable. You're just a normal girl in the end… So I'll be generous… Any last words, Miss Dia?"

Grunting under her foe's weight and strength, the brunette shot a look of pure venom at the girl above her and said, "Behind you."

"Huh—?"

_**THUD**_

Just like that, Nepgeo's body turned limp and slumped forward, the knife barely missing the human girl's ear. She gritted her teeth as she shoved aside her enemy's body and looked up at her savior. It was Dom, alive and well, carrying a mop in one hand as he breathed hard. His face looked pale under the moonlight as sweat formed above his brow. He still had his coat on yet his sleeve was now cut, revealing a wound wrapped hastily in bandages as it was soaked red.

"I always wanted to do that," he muttered as he kicked their foe's unconscious form, "You okay?"

The brunette took a few seconds to answer before swallowing down the lump on her throat, "Yeah. I'm good. I thought she killed you."

"Nah, death's cheap," grumbled the boy as he scratched his neck, "besides, she didn't have the guts to kill me for real. She just knocked me out with a hit on the crotch. Damn, it still hurts…"

"Her mistake then," said Dia as she gave the lilac haired girl's body a look as if she were looking at trash, "I can't believe I almost died back there."

"Yeah, good for you," grumbled Dom as he kneeled down the faux Candidate's form and tapping on her head, "I don't know why she brought you here but something's telling me that we need to find the real Nepgear and fast. Who knows what's happening to her. The page, give it to me."

Doing as he had told her, the girl handed him the piece of paper from her pocket, "What are we going to do with her?"

"Her? We take her with us, naturally. It would be rude to leave her there," replied the boy as he gave the paper a glance and tapped it, "Oi, papa's here."

There was a slight gust in the abandoned classroom before a transparent purple bubble formed around him, glowing faintly in the dark. Bewildered by this, Dia just had to ask, "What is this? A bubble?"

"It's Goddess tracking device of some sort, Histoire explained it to me blah blah blah, let's get the fuck out of here already," hissed Dom as he kneeled down and lifted the unconscious Nepgeo in a princess carry. Giving his best friend a glance, he said, "The brighter this barrier gets, the closer we are to a CPU. Seeing how it's glowing faintly, she's probably nearby. We don't know if she has the Share Deprivation Symptoms so we have to hurry. Let's move!"

With that they exited the abandoned classroom and sprinted through the hall.

"You sure you can carry her?" asked Dia as they ran, "You're hurt on the arm, you could drop her any moment."

"I could care less if I drop her," replied Dom as he glanced at the barrier around him, "If that happens then woo hoo, hope she gets brain damage. She just stabbed my freaking arm and kicked me in the family jewels, you think I'll be worried if she fell right now?!"

A small smile appeared on his best friend's lips, "You're surprisingly nice to your would be killer."

The boy didn't respond to her comment and said, "We go up."

Passing by the staircase leading to the ground floor, they ran past five more classrooms before coming across another set of wooden stairs leading the way up. Not wasting time, they quickly ran their way up, the barrier glowing much brighter as they went. The hallway of the third floor was the same as the second floor, burned and scorched all over the place. The two didn't pay this any mind and ran along, their footsteps making so much noise that it was bouncing along the walls.

All in their mind right they knew that somewhere in this school, a girl was all alone, afraid and confused. They needed to reach her before something horrible happens, they couldn't let her disappear in such a place and in such a manner.

"Say, Dom," spoke up the brunette at the boy's side, "Just how did you figure out she wasn't Gear? I only pieced it when she almost stabbed me."

"Is this really the time?" asked Dom as he was out of breath, "Simple, I played Neptunia too much, but I guess I can elaborate. One, Nepgear does_ not_ have any interest in clothes. Two, she's an expert in fixing machines, no way would she be scared of a cash register. And lastly? The Gear we've been with hasn't shown signs of Share Deprivation, therefore leading to my conclusion being this bitch playing with us. But I'm left wondering on how the fuck she got here in the first place."

"Maybe she tagged along? Or maybe it's entirely by chance?" suggested his friend yet it didn't seem that way.

"I don't know. What's dangerous is that Nepgeo had a plan and she had the intent of carrying it out. Somehow it has something to do with the Page we have, Histoire's page which could allow Dimension travel," replied the boy as he glanced up at the barrier once more. It was glowing a bit brighter than before, "Turn right!"

As they did, another hallway revealed itself before them. The two didn't waste time standing around ran across it in search for any signs of the Candidate. The barrier around Dom suddenly glowed painfully bright before dying slowly, forcing him to come to a halt and back track a bit. Once again, the barrier shined bright before finally popping out of existence. The two friends looked up at the classroom's number and then stared at each other. Dia placed her hands on the door and slid it open.

"Nepgear!" she cried as she ran forward towards the real lilac haired girl bound to a chair. She wasn't looking good, she was turning transparent and then back to her normal self before going back again. It was like she was a dying candle within inches of being extinguished. Dia glanced back at Dom and yelled, "Hurry up! We're losing her!"

"Right," he replied as he settled down Nepgeo at the side and came to the bound Candidate's side, "Untie her, I'll get to work."

The brunette's hands flew as she undid the straps which held the lilac haired girl on the chair. It didn't seem like the CPU was conscious until she slowly opened her eyes. She merely stared at the human girl before her as the gag on her lips was taken off. In a weak voice she said, "I'm sorry…"

"Shhh, don't say anything. You need to save your strength," whispered Dia with a forced smile. To Dom she yelled, "HURRY UP!"

"I'm trying, I'm trying!" replied the boy before yelling, "HISTOIRE! HEY, GET OVER HERE YOU DAMNED BOOK, WE NEED YOUR HELP! NEPGEAR NEEDS YOUR HELP! OPEN UP THE FREAKING PORTAL!"

"It's… all my fault…"muttered Nepgear as tears fell from her eyes, "You two… I'm sorry…"

The human girl shook the Candidate's shoulders, "Please, hold on okay? Come on, Gear, look at me. Look at me! Don't let go!"

"I can't… I'm sorry… I'm sorry… Neptune…" Nepgear's form completely froze in transparency, beads of light detaching from her skin and clothes as hey slowly rose into the air.

"Nepgear! NEPGEAR!" yelled Dia as she shook the lilac haired girl, "Wait! Please wait! Don't go yet! Nepgear! DON'T LET GO! HEY! LOOK AT ME, DAMMIT—!"

_**BOOM**_

Her words were cut short as something exploded, knocking her best friend a good distance from where he was standing. Looking behind her, she beheld the sight of a familiar portal with its swirling insides. Warm hot air was blown out of it, reinvigorating her and cooled her face. She then realized that her face was wet and that something was trickling down her cheeks. Turning her gaze at the dying Candidate, she witnessed how the color returned to the lilac haired girl's face as her form slowly returned back to normal.

Bit by bit, she began to breathe again up to the point that her eyes were fully open once more. It seemed like she was surprised herself, as if she were half expecting to disappear into nothingness. The first thing she saw was her friend's tearstained face before she was suddenly enveloped in a hug. Dia was actually crying, not in sadness but in relief.

"You… I told you not to let go didn't I?" said the brunette in a cracked tone as she refused to let the Candidate off her grip.

Nepgear's face broke into a sad smile as she returned the hug, "I'm sorry…"

"AW YEAH! I DID IT! TAKE THAT UNIVERSE!" cheered Dom as he jumped back on his feet with his fist high up in the air. He then saw the two girls' moment and muttered to himself, "Uh… yeah… I'll just… shut up now…"

A sigh escaped the lilac haired girl's lips as she released the brunette from her grasp, "I guess… It's time to go now, right? And… I didn't even get the chance to win the contest for the café."

"It doesn't matter," replied the human girl while shaking her head, "You're safe, that's all that matters."

"Miss Dia?" asked the Candidate while having her eyes fixed on the floor.

"Something wrong?"

"Did we win?"

A small smile appeared on Dia's lips as she answered truthfully, "No… We lost…"

"I see," the other girl gave her a smile of her own before standing up on her own two feet. Her friend stood beside her in case she fell. With a nod of acknowledgement, she leaned on the brunette for support, "Thank you… for everything…"

"I know…" replied the brown haired girl, "I know… Guess I didn't get to make you into a perfect maid, but I guess you'll have to become the perfect one on your own. That's how I did it… If could do it, then so could you. You're… A Goddess after all..."

"A Goddess…." Echoed Nepgear. The two let each other go just as she was about to reach the portal. Looking back one last time at her two friends in the Real World she said, "Thank you…"

Jumping through the portal… that was the last time they ever saw her.

"Yeah well, if you're done drowning yourself in Déjà vu, could you please tell me what we're doing with her?" asked Dom while crossing his arms; obviously speaking about the unconscious Nepgeo he had at his feet.

"Oh... her… We're tossing her in," replied Dia while grabbing hold both of the unconscious girl's arms while the boy took hold of her legs, "One…Two…"

"THREE!" they both yelled in unison, tossing Nepgeo's body through the air and into the portal, just as it was about to close.

With a small pop, the gate between dimensions ceased to exist. The two best friends were left alone once more, this feeling sure felt familiar. Having housed the wrong girl for a few days… that sure sunk deep in their heads. It almost cost them their lives, not just theirs but Nepgear's too.

A heavy atmosphere hung in the air as the two remained silent. The brunette looked up as the boy dusted his pants and offered her a hand. A smile spread across her lips as she took it and stood up too. With a knowing nod to each other, they exited the classroom without looking behind.

That day, the two of them came to an understanding. If there were any more Divine Beings in need of assistance, these two would be more than ready to do what they could just to help them. Even if it pushed them to doing craziest things.

_**{NEPGEAR ARC, COMPLETE}**_

* * *

_Nicolas Notes: _

_Hello once more dear reader. And so here we come to a close to little Nepgear's story. Only that it was HER story until it got hijacked by her evil twin. Mindscrewed much? I have no idea where this idea came from, it just... well...seemed interesting so I toyed with it._

_I did intend for this chapter to be short yet it seemed to be that I had to explain a bit so as not to let you guys be confused...much... _

_Personally, I hoped this chapter didn't come out as... um... _

_Dom: Half assed?_

_Yes, that... Since I felt like I was doing that. So I apologize if it wasn't up to your taste. I did my best in proofing it and checking for spelling errors. SHould you find any, you can always tell me in the reviews or PM me. I'll be more than happy to listen._

_Also if you have any questions regarding this particularly confusing chapter, I'll be here and will answer your questions to the best of my ability. Hehehe, I think I went overboard with Nepgeo's personality here. And maybe I got a bit carried away with beating up our two protagonists to the brink of death, I'll try not get them killed next time. _

_However, this may be the last action thingy you'll see. I wouldn't want this to center on some conspiracy...um... what was that word?_

_Dom: Bull shit?"_

_Ah, yes... thanks... We'll be back in the Slice of Life category in a jiffy. That is if my mind isn't tainted in the coming days. I swore that there's a lot of things that I'm going to address here but I forgot them. I just want to say, thanks for sticking up to the second arc and I hope most of your will stay for the third. To the anons that have been reviewing, thank you. To the usual readers too, i thank you~_

_I'll see you all next time~_

_Yahoo~_


	9. Chapter 9: A Bright Start

_**As the purple dye dries, you add a bit of yellow. Sunrise after a dark night, you sure have strange tastes, hm?**_

* * *

There was once a girl named Peashy, a sweet energetic girl whom fell into a very deep hole.

The hole was very deep, so she fell for a very long time. She wasn't scared, in fact, she kind of enjoyed it. In a happy tone, she fell through the black abyss with the ever present innocence of a child. She fell, she fell and she fell, all the way down the darkness. Her bright blue eyes seemed to shine with excited light, curious as to what awaited her at the bottom. All she remembered before this was that she was going to sleep. So then, does that make this a dream? A very strange dream indeed.

But look! At the bottom! There was another hole. It was bright, almost blinding, the little girl had to cover her eyes.

Passing through it, she was instantly met with a cold wind. Her blonde hair floated as she fell through the sky. The child's eyes widened as she saw the city below her, a city bathed in bright lights. Buildings of every size filled her vision, towering over the smaller ones like strict parents. There were cars, yet unlike the ones she had encountered back home, these ones had wheels. She looked back up and saw that the hole she passed through was growing smaller and smaller that it couldn't be seen by the naked eye anymore.

Yet the little girl didn't seem to mind. Instead, she continued falling. That was until she landed on something soft. Shaking her head in confusion, it seemed like she fell right on top of a balloon of some kind, slowly deflating and lowering her to the ground. Once that she was near to the floor, she immediately jumped off and skipped away as the sounds of confused voices rung behind her.

"The hell? What happened all of a sudden? Is this thing broken?" asked a man's voice.

"Something fell? Looked like a brick or something, why don't you check it out?" said another.

By the time they investigated what deflated the fifteen foot balloon mascot of their car company; the little blonde girl was already a few blocks away. Now apparently, the child still has yet to know that she was in a foreign world unlike her own, so she was curious as to the things she was seeing. She looked at the buildings around her with an open mouth and wide eyes. Every building, shop, convenience store, car, person, they were colorful. Music that she hasn't heard from elsewhere drifted through the air, the sights were simply dazzling.

A toy shop caught her eye so she didn't waste any time approaching it. Inside were countless of toys and stuffed animals that she could only see back at Plutia's house. There were bears, unicorns, monkeys, bumble bees and a whole lot of other stuff. She narrowed her eyes so as to spot a Neptune dolls somewhere yet failed. A pout appeared on her lips as she failed to find any Neptune doll. Blinking away from the stuffed animals, she pressed her face on the glass to see further into the shop.

There sure were a lot of children there, dragging their parents with them as they presented the toy that they wanted. Now at that moment, something inside Peashy felt heavy. A frown appeared on her cute face as she began to think to herself. That was when she came to a realization that she was all by herself. Now she found this strange since never before had she remembered that she was all alone, there was always someone at her side at all times. Even back at home, Nepgear's room wasn't that far from hers.

She began to look around, people walking by barely taking any notice of her. Her lips parted and two words escaped them, "Mommy? Daddy?"

Heading into the crowd, she scanned the faces of every person she saw. Looking for the familiar light blue hair of her 'mother' and bright pink mecha suit of her 'father', she waded through the sea of people with a determined look all while repeating the same words.

"Mommy? Daddy? Neptuna! Ploot?" she called while pushing aside a group of girls whom all yelped at her strength yet she didn't care, "Anyone? Helloooo!"

Her little feet took her to random places, all while she called for anyone she recognized. However as the minutes dragged on, the more her insides felt heavier. It seemed to her that the more she walked the darker the surroundings became. The child needed to cross a couple of roads during her walk, creating massive traffic jams and minor accidents, yet it's not like she cared. She merely continued running around the city, searching for people she knew.

She was confused. The thought of this being all a dream was now gone from her mind. Even an idiot would know by now that this wasn't a dream. The cold night air which came in contact with her skin was real, the delicious scent of food from the restaurants was real, and so there was no way this could be a dream, right?

"Bwah!" she cried out, falling on her butt as she collided with someone. Scratching her head, she gave the person she hit an angry look while saying, "Watch it, mister!"

The angry look on her face disappeared just as it appeared the moment she saw the person she hit. They were a group of men, middle aged and dressed in black suits. Almost all of them had an evil look on their face and a malevolent aura to match. It seemed like they were getting ready to enter a rundown apartment until the small CPU collided with one of them.

Peashy stared at them with wide eyes for a few moments before one of them crouched in front of her and said with a creepy smile, "Why hi there~. You lost little missy~?"

Her only reply was a smack across his face when it got too close, sending the man flying off his feet. Tumbling down the street from the Goddess' strength, he eventually hit a wall and was knocked unconscious. His colleagues voiced their reactions in a fashionable manner.

"Boss!"

"Oh man, that gotta hurt."

Standing up and placing her hands on her hips, the child then exclaimed, "Ha! I'm not gonna let you uglies come close! Daddy said never talk to strangers."

"Y-You… damned brat!" cursed one of the men in a dangerous tone, making the girl jump, "How dare you! Come here so we can discipline you!"

"Wha—? Ha! Let's play!" cheered Peashy while hitting her gloved paw hands together. The men in suits looked at each other for a brief moment before charging at her.

Suffice to say that the night was pierced with screams of pain and agony. These fools certainly did not know what they were dealing with and paid the price fairly.

* * *

The little blonde girl ran through the abandoned street, chasing her new friends with a smile on her face. Ah, the innocence of a child, oblivious to the fact that the black suited men she was chasing were bruised and bloodied all over, carrying their fallen comrades to escape her rough play. Like retreating soldiers from a long harsh battle, they squealed like pansies as they made their escape. Apparently, hiding behind their only getaway vehicle from a child that has the strength of a hundred pound gorilla wasn't the best choice they had.

It was their fault for standing in the girl's way.

And so they ran like the cowards they were, weapons and tough front cast aside without care, the desire to survive the night unscathed burning within their chests. Honestly, Peashy was having the time of her life. She managed to catch up with one Yakuza member and shove him with all her might, sending him flying forward into his colleagues.

"Let's get out of here!" barked one of the men while scrambling back to his feet.

The other guy he landed on grunted and stuttered fearfully, "D-Demon! A demon has come! Run! Run dammit!"

"Bleeeh!" the little girl stuck out her tongue as she watched her would be kidnappers run away, "You guys are no fun! Boring!"

With that final yell, she crossed her arms and huffed, her nose raised high in the air as a sense of triumph hung over the atmosphere. She had successfully beaten the bad guys yet now she was all alone again. Not only that, it seemed that she was far from the main town now. She looked around her and spotted the various cozy houses with lights at the window, judging from the smell in the air, the people living in them were probably having dinner.

It was much quieter on where she was. There were close to no people around since they were all in their houses. A perfect contrast from the sign and display filled town she arrived to. A much peaceful setting than the dizzying flood of sights earlier. Her head hung low for a moment just before she clasped both of her paw gloves at the side of her face. This was no time to dilly dally, she had to find Neptuna and Ploot. Her feet moved once more as she walked on.

After going about in random directions, she still has yet to meet a person she knew. A couple or a lone businessman passed her yet gave her no notice, not even wondering why a little girl was all by herself during the evening. Her eyes looked at one house to another, all of them varying in sizes just like the buildings she had seen. The lack of color of the residential area seemed to bore her judging by the look on her face. Finally, she came across a park that didn't seemed all that deserted. In fact there were children there too.

A smile grew on Peashy's face as she spotted them forming a circle in the middle of the playground, singing what seemed to be a nursery rhyme. However as she came close, her smile was replaced with a frown as she saw that they were circling someone… Another child.

While the other kids had clothes which seemed to be well cared for, the one that they were circling seemed to have her own dirtied and covered with dirt. The child being circled was a girl about the little CPUs age just like the others around her. She was crying. The little Goddess' frown turned into a wide eyed shock when one of the circling children broke off the ring and kicked dirt into the bullied girl's face. Their taunting song came to an end which was then followed by a barrage of insults. The bullied girl only cried throughout the whole ordeal.

Now at that time, Peashy was confused. In her little mind, she began to ask herself, _Why are they hurting her? Isn't that mean? Why won't they help her? Is she a bad person? Did she do something bad? _

As the confusion within her grew, something inside her was very clear, it was only then she realized it. She was mad.

Walking towards the group, she called in a loud voice, "Hey! Stop it, that's not very nice!"

The bullies looked at her with tilted heads while the child whom seemed to be the leader spoke up, "What do you want? This girl's mother is a witch! She's the one who's not nice!"

"Yeah! She cursed my hamster and killed it! She should die too!" piped up another as three of the largest boys and girls advanced towards the little blonde girl.

"No! That's not right!" said Peashy while stomping her foot, "You're being mean to her! Go away already!"

"No, you go away! She's the bad guy here!" retorted another child, "Her mommy's an evil person! So she's evil too! She even said that she'll grow up just like her mommy! Witch! Witch!"

The bullies turned their attention away from the little Goddess and began to pull at the crying girl's hair and kick dust into her face. The blonde girl's gloved hands shook in frustration, why wouldn't they listen to her? Don't they know that what they were doing was wrong? As a CPU she couldn't just sit there and watch. So she stomped forward and broke through the bullies' group and shoved the bully whom held the crying girl's hair. It wasn't surprising that the child was lifted into the air a bit before landing on his butt, albeit a bit shaken from the little Goddess' strength.

Peashy stood in front of the bullied girl and sent a fierce glare to all the children present. They all became stiff as their blood froze within them, the blonde little girl wasn't aware that light was being emitted from her body while her eyes had turned bright orange. A cool breeze blew by as everyone held their breaths. Every single bully seemed to be quaking under the intimidating look the little CPU gave them.

In a firm, commanding tone, she said, "I won't let you hurt her."

On cue, a gust passed overhead which signaled the mean children's retreat. Some of them were in tears as they ran away, their shoulders trembling from being exposed to a drop of power of the little Goddess. Content with her work, Peashy placed her hands on her hips and looked at the poor girl whom was being bullied but a few minutes earlier.

The girl's curly hair was a mess due to being pulled and tugged at by her bullies. Dirt was smeared on her face after spending too much time on the ground or being thrown at by the local children. She wore a red white blouse and a light blue skirt, both dirtied by her tormentors' rough play. Her sad black eyes looked up at the blonde girl in awe, though it was as if her eyes were lifeless since there wasn't much as a sparkle within them.

She parted her lips to ask a question, her voice was sweet yet sad, "An… Angel?"

"Angel? What's that?" asked the little CPU in return, her head tilted to the side in a confused manner.

"Have you come to take me away?" the girl questioned in return, sending Peashy's mind into even more confusion. One would be able to imagine question marks floating above her head.

"I don't get it," she admitted while scratching the back of her head. Suddenly, her eyes lit up as an unspoken question came to mind, "Ah! Hey, why were those meanies hurting you? They keep saying that you did something bad. Are you okay?"

The girl merely lowered her gaze as she replied, "They're liars… They make fun of mommy and me. I hate them…"

"Why?" pressed on the little CPU, her bright blue eyes seemed to sparkle with curiosity.

"Because they're mean," responded the girl in the same sad tone.

"Why?" repeated the Goddess in the same confused manner.

"Because they won't believe that mommy's cool," answered the other child.

"Wow, your mommy's cool?!" exclaimed Peashy, her face coming close to the girl's, "My mommy's cool too! What can she do? Tell me!"

Taken aback by the blonde haired girl's outburst, the black haired one admitted in a stuttering tone, "S-S-She's a magician. M-mommy can do magic."

"Magic? I like magic!" said the little Goddess with a bright smile, "Can you do magic too? That would be so cool!"

"N-Not really magic…" corrected the girl in a timid tone, "M-Magic tricks… Mommy really likes them… I like them too. But people around the house don't like it. That's why they call her a witch."

"Well that's not very nice," the blonde little girl crossed her arms and pouted. For a few moments, she studied the girl's sad expression. Peashy didn't like seeing someone that way, that's why she placed her hands on the girl's cheeks and forced a smile on her face. The other child seemed to be surprised at this and flinched, closing her eyes until she understood what the little CPU was trying to do.

"Why—?" she began yet was cut off by Peashy.

"Do you want to play with me?"

Once those words were spoken, a small smile appeared upon the other girl's face. She took the blonde girl's hand and went off to have some fun. Maybe this time she really made a friend.

* * *

The night wore on and the two played many games. Surprisingly enough, the girl had managed to endure the little CPU's roughhousing and still had the strength to stand up albeit out of breath. Or maybe Peashy was just holding back. Nevertheless the two had fun shortly after they played. The girl introduced herself as Anya and was very happy that the Goddess introduced herself too.

Soon the moon shined above and the crickets began to chirp, the heavens above watched over the two girls as they traversed through the streets. Of course, being the only one strong enough to defend them, the blonde girl naturally walked a few paces ahead of the black haired girl. Her ever present smile and bubbly attitude brightening up the dim streets.

"Um, Anya? Where are we going?" she asked all of a sudden, breaking the long silence between them. She didn't know why, but since she made friends with the other girl, she was reluctant to leave her alone. It was probably because there will be no one to defend her if those bullies came back. Still, the little Goddess was a bit curious of their destination.

Anya blinked twice as she thought about it. The girl had brightened up a bit ever since the other girl came to her rescue, causing her to open her heart a bit and give life back to her eyes. Right now, it seemed that she was expressing her emotions a bit more freely now. Her gazed turned back on her new friend as she replied with a smile, "We're going to mommy's place. Don't worry, we're almost there."

They soon fell into silence once more after that. Not long after, probably fifteen minutes had passed or so, they had arrived at an open area within short iron black railings and a large gate. The place had well-trimmed grass making the whole view nice and clean while gray stone were sitting on every direction. The two girls strolled on a pathway, the human child peering left and right as if searching for something. A yawn escaped Peashy as she saw nothing interesting. She wondered what people did in a place like this; there was nothing here other than neat stones, flowers, and grass.

There were words on every stone they passed by yet it didn't seem like she could read them. It was like they were written in a different language than the ones she was used to. Then again, she had the mental process of an eight year old child so she wouldn't be an expert in reading either way. Something soft hit her on her front and she realized she just bumped into Anya.

"Um, I'm sorry," she apologized with an uncomfortable expression. It didn't seem like the other child minded since she waved it off and looked at a stone in front of her. Confused, the little CPU looked at it to and saw that the stone before them had a bouquet of beautiful flowers in front. She turned to look at her friend and asked, "What is this? Why are there flowers on it? I thought we were going to see your mommy?"

Anya glanced at her sideways before biting her lip, finally replying with, "This is a gravestone… Mommy's right here."

"Eh? Where? I don't see her," replied Peashy while looking around.

"Mommy went away when I was little, so I come here to visit her every week," explained the black haired girl, kneeling before the gravestone and took out a ladle and small bucket before it. With a small flourish of her hand, she soaked the stone and clapped her hands together as if in prayer.

The little Goddess titled her head for a bit and studied what her new friend just did. Albeit confused, she looked at the gravestone and imitated the other girl's actions, clapping her hands and closing her eyes. The two remained like that for a minute before the black haired girl released a sigh. The blonde however opened her eyes and glanced sideways at the human child.

"Your mommy's gone?" she asked with the same curious eyes.

"Yes," replied the other girl, "I was very little so I don't know much about her. People always said how she looked good in TV."

Looking at the floor, the little CPU asked, "Are you lonely?"

Anya straightened up and stared at her. In a sad tone she replied, "T-There are people who care for me… Sometimes it's lonely since other kids pick on me… I don't really have any friends since they think mommy was a witch."

"I never knew my real mommy and daddy, and… I can't find my friends here," admitted Peashy, she looked up and questioned once more, "If… you don't have your mommy, then where do you live? Do you live by yourself?"

"I-I live somewhere else," said the black haired girl.

"I wanna go to your house!" announced the blonde girl with bright eyes. Seeing that face, it didn't seem like Anya had any choice.

In an uncomfortable tone she replied, "O-Okay then."

* * *

The two girls stood in front of a large establishment that seemed look like a large mansion. The little CPU had to scratch her head in her attempt to read the name of the place until her new friend helpfully read it for her. It said that the mansion was called: Saint Dominique's Shelter. Despite the knowledge of its name, Peashy still couldn't make heads or tails of what that meant.

"What's this place? It looks scary," she said while crossing her arms and frowning.

"This is an orphanage. It's where children with no parents go to stay," explained Anya as they got close.

"Orphanage? Like a Basilicom?" guessed Peashy while placing a thoughtful hand on her chin.

"What's a Basilicom?" the human child asked back.

"I… don't know," replied the little Goddess.

The black haired girl glanced at the black gates and immediately nodded to herself. She then grabbed hold of her friend's hand and led her to a clump of bushes just in front of the wall next to the gate. Upon arriving there, the blonde girl discovered what looked like a hole large enough for her to fit in hidden behind the bushes. Anya gestured for her to follow and so she did. Once they entered through the gates, they quickly went towards the door which seemed to be unlocked.

They opened it and quietly went inside. The inside of the mansion was just as fancy as the outside. The carpets were all red while the stairs at the middle was made out of polished wood. There seemed to be two main doors leading to the east and west wing of the mansion while two smaller doors were sitting just beyond the stairs. Beside the entrance door was a counter, a sign placed on top of it which Anya read as 'Receptionist'. It didn't look like anyone was there.

Seeing that it was safe enough to be out in the open, the two strolled to the center of the room.

"Wow… It's like Bert's house only prettier!" said Peashy while in awe.

"Shhh, everyone's probably in bed. The adults might hear you," warned the black haired girl as she came to the little CPUs side.

At a first glance, the entire mansion seemed to be deserted had it not been for the lit chandelier and lights. The entire household seemed to emit a warm atmosphere, perfect for lost kids with nowhere to go. It kind of reminded the little Goddess of her old home. Now that she thought of it, she wondered what her friends were doing right now.

"Do a lot of people live here?"" asked the little CPU while looking around, "Looks kinda boring… Bert's house had a lot of weird stuff!"

"A lot of other kids live here with me. All of us are the same, we all lost our parents and it's here where we wait for new ones to take us," answered Anya as she rubbed her arm, "But… I don't really want to go…"

"Why not? Wouldn't being with a mommy and daddy much more fun?" said Peashy with a confused tone.

"No one could be able to replace mommy… No one," replied the black haired girl, turning around to look at her friend, "And I bet no one would be able to replace you."

"Of course, we're friends, right? I'll even let you call me P-ko!" the little Goddess then patted her chest proudly at that.

"Why P-ko?" asked Anya.

"It's what Neptuna and Ploot call me," answered the blonde girl.

"Are those your friends?" the human child asked once more.

"Yeah and they're the best ever! Don't worry; I'll help you make lots of friends. No one will bully you again!" said Peashy with a grin.

"Promise?" pressed on the black haired girl, she wasn't sure if her new friend would really help her. But then again, this strange girl was her one and only friend in a long time, so she'll be gambling a lot in this.

"Promise," assured the little CPU with a nod.

"It's ten in the evening and you kids are still up?" said a voice, followed by a door closing.

The two children tensed and turned their attention at the source of the footsteps approaching them. It was a young man, wearing a black t-shirt and white pants, and a cap on his head. He had his right hand scratching his head while his left was in some kind of cast as he walked towards them, the frown on his face enough to make Anya cower behind her new friend. The little Goddess on the other hand stood her ground and got ready in case things got ugly.

Coming to a halt just a few feet away, the boy gave the blonde girl a hard look as if he was studying her face. The stubborn look on her face and determined eyes was an interesting sight. Her paw like gloves seemed to ball into what looked like a fist. She looked prepared to attack should this guy turn out to be a bully.

"O-O-Oh n-no…" whimpered Anya from behind her friend, "Of all people…"

"If you bully her, you're dead meat, buster!" threatened Peashy as she hit her hands together. The young man merely gave her a raised eye brow before turning his gaze at the girl behind her.

"You're late Anya, didn't the Sister tell you come back as soon as possible?" he scolded, ignoring the cute bruiser before him with the strength to send him flying. It didn't look like he was aware of this, however if he did, he was doing a pretty good job at hiding it.

"I-I'm sorry, Mister Adrian…" muttered the human child while avoiding eye contact.

"Eh? You know this creep?" asked the CPU while glancing to her back, "Who is he?"

That was when Dom answered her questions for her, "Well now… I guess I could start by telling you that my name's Adrian Dom; I'm merely the son of the man who owns this orphanage. I'm also the one helping maintain as well as inspecting if it's in tip top shape. That enough for information for you, Miss Yellow Heart?"

* * *

It was already morning when Peashy woke up. A yawn escaped her as she scratched her head and rubbed the sleep off her eyes. Looking out of the window, she came to a realization that what happened the previous night wasn't a dream. It was all very real.

That night, she fell into this unknown world, completely foreign to her and here she made a friend. Her friend was a bullied girl named Anya, the same girl she promised that she'll help her make friends with. After that, she met up with a strange young man whom apparently knew about her as a CPU. He didn't seem like a bad person, but the way he talked and acted made her dislike him. However despite that, she agreed with him when he offered her to stay for the night.

She was curious though; curious on the moment that he said that he'll be able to send her home if he did her a favor. What that favor could be was still a mystery to her. As a Goddess with a child's thinking, she always let the thinking part to her friends whom had a whole lot more experience and knowledge than her.

_Use your head._

Those were the young man's last words to her before he departed. She didn't understand any of it. It was so confusing.

A loud rumble from within her tummy brought her back to reality. She was hungry, in fact, it didn't seem like she ate anything since she arrived into this world. She missed Nepgear's pancakes and eating with Compa and IF during breakfast. Knowing they weren't with her was really disheartening.

That was when the door decided to open and in came a young girl with long black hair. It was Anya, carrying a tray of bread and soup, a carton of milk too. Placing the tray on the little Goddess' bedside, she jumped on it too and laid in directly in front of her friend.

"I-I-I didn't know what to get you… So I took one of everything," explained the black haired girl as her friend stared at the food with wide and hungry eyes, "Mister Adrian already told the Sister that you're here so she was more than kind enough to give me these. It really looks like you have a big stomach."

"Of course I have a big stomach," replied the blonde girl, "Neptuna told me that if I don't eat, I'll never grow up and become smart!"

"A-Are you sure you're okay with staying here?" asked Anya in a concerned tone, "Wouldn't the ones taking care of you get mad?"

Peashy looked up from her food and wiped her mouth with her sleeve to reply, "Don't worry. Neptuna and Ploot never get mad at me. It's okay, I guess."

"That's good to hear," said the human child with a faint smile, "I would be really happy if you stayed for a bit longer though… I-If you don't mind…"

"I promised you, didn't I?" the little goddess drank from her milk carton and let out a satisfied sigh, "I'll help you make a lot of friends!"

"Thank you," mumbled the other girl in an almost inaudible tone.

At that exact moment did the door open once more. This time, a woman with long brown hair black and white clothing entered the room. She had a kind motherly face and a warm smile enough to melt the coldest of hearts. Her eyes gave off a wise air about her while her face seemed to retain its appearance from her youth. Judging from her looks, this woman seemed to be approaching her mid-thirties. A nun at the prime of her career.

She approached the two girls and clapped her hands ones, "Oh my, this must be the reason why you're all excited, Anya. This girl looks like an angel just like you said. Ah, forgive me my dear, I am the Sister and I am the one taking care of all of the children within this orphanage. Even if it's temporary, we hope you enjoy your stay here. Quite rare for that young man to make a request, going as far as to hush it up from his father too. Oh dear, I wonder what that boy is planning."

"Sister? But… you're not my sister," corrected Peashy in a confused manner. By looks alone, this woman seemed a tad bit too old to be her sister.

"Oh? Oh dear me, I think you have all wrong, my child. 'Sister' is merely a title. A nickname everyone refers to me," explained the woman in a sweet soothing tone, "I have a lot of nicknames too. Feel free to call me anything you wish. I have a habit of collecting them over the years."

"Can I call you granny? 'Cuz you're old and stuff," asked the little CPU with an innocent tone.

The Sister thought about it for a moment before giving her a small smile, "No. On another note, I understand Adrian's decision to let you stay since it was too late last night, but if I may just ask, do you know any way to contact your parent or guardian? Are you all alone, dear? Where is your home? What is your school? Do you have anyone you know in this town?"

"Nope," replied the little Goddess as bluntly as she could, "I don't know. Finding them last night made me tired. I do live in a Basilicom where Neptuna and Ploot live! There's Histy and Nepgear too!"

"Are... they your relatives?" asked the woman in curiosity.

"No… But they're my bestest friends in the whole wide world! Neptuna's the coolest!" exclaimed the blonde girl with great vigor, it seemed like she was only getting warmed up.

The woman stared at her for a moment before releasing a small sigh with a smile, "I see then… Anya dear, if you could just take care of this angel here for a while. Adrian's stopping by later to speak with her, I think it'll be better if you two spent a little time together, don't you think?"

"Y-Yes ma'am!" replied Anya while brushing her fringe from her eyes.

"Good," said the Sister with a nod, "Peashy, enjoy your stay. And please, take care of each other."

With that, she closed the door leaving the two girls alone.

"Hmm, I wonder why big brother Adrian wants to talk to you," muttered Anya in a worried tone, "I hope you're not in trouble…"

"Don't worry, I'm a Goddess! I'll be fine," assured Peashy while patting her friend's shoulder.

"Ah… yeah… A Goddess… Wait what—?"

* * *

The time had come and it was already noon. The black haired girl and her new friend had just finished eating their lunch. She was a bit uncomfortable though since a few of the other kids were whispering to each other while obviously speaking about her. The little Goddess at her side was brave enough to scare away those her were secretly saying bad stuff about her, which made her a bit happy. She didn't like how they were saying that she bewitched Peashy into helping her all the time. She just wished that they would just stop.

Her friend on the other hand didn't seem to be affected. Every time she saw how Anya was being badmouthed she was always quick to jump to her defense. They may have met only for a very short while yet it looked like they were already the closest of friends. She got to show Peashy the large back yard they had and playground in the middle of it. They even played within the garden just before heading for lunch. However now, they were making their way to the Sister's office where Adrian was said to be waiting for them.

Many times did they go on detours, peeking into the storage room, spying at other kids, and exploring the library. Reason why they were a few minutes late. The human girl was just saying her farewell to her friend just before entering the office. They even promised to meet each other back at the little CPU's room.

With that last exchange, the blonde little girl entered through the doors and into the office.

Within was the same young man from last night, pocketing what seemed to be a piece of paper as she came in. The room had a refreshing color about it, bright green walls took up most of the girl's vision, causing her to blink twice. The chairs were deep scarlet while compared to the wooden floors covered by a carpet outside, the entire ground was covered in cream colored tiles. A lone coffee table sat in the middle while a brown shelf filled with various books and ornaments stood beside the window. The morning light entering the room in dazzling rays.

"Hm, enjoying your stay?" asked the young man as he stared at the little girl with a neutral expression.

Peashy on the other hand crossed her arms and gave him the stink eye, "You're not gonna blow me up are you?"

"I don't think I have the firepower to do so," replied the boy while not missing a beat. Their conversation suddenly had a weird start. Once the opening had gone by, the young man then continued, "Nevertheless, welcome to this cruel little world I have known as Reality. I think you're smart enough to be aware that you're no longer in Gamindustri, right?"

"Not… in Gamindustri?" questioned the little Goddess in a confused manner, "Where's that?"

"Here," Dom simply replied, "You could say that you're in someone else's house in layman's terms. You're in the country known as Japan and for convenience's sake; you know how to speak Japanese. It would be a whole lot of trouble if you wound up in another country."

"Is that bad?" asked the CPU, totally unaware of the meaning behind the boy's words.

"Probably, I don't know. Just consider yourself lucky that you met up with Anya," said the young man with a smile, "You CPUs have lady luck on your side while she's against us. Darn, if only I had your luck for finding the right people."

The little girl had a pout on her face as she stared at him with determined eyes, "B-But… If I'm here… Where is everyone? I wanna see them. Do you know where they are?"

Avoiding eye contact, the boy released a sigh as he chose his words carefully. It would be bad if this girl threw a tantrum, "Well… They're safe since… they're back at your house. But I bet they're worried about you going missing and all. Everyone you knew is okay; it's just you that's the problem. There's no need to be sad though, I'm already working out a way to send you back. If… you can just wait a little bit longer…"

His eyes went wide as he stood up from his chair. The little Goddess had unconsciously activated her powers and now had a faint yellow glow about her. Definitely not a good sign, should she transform into her full Goddess mode then Dom didn't know what to do then. She seemed mad though.

"No!" she snapped, her little gloved hands shaking as they were balled into fists, "I wanna see them now! Why can't I see them?! Neptuna and Ploot has to meet Anya! I wanna, I wanna, I wanna—gup!"

The boy had managed to plunge a lollipop into the little CPU's mouth before she blew the office apart. Crisis averted.

Breathing hard, he then retrieved his hand and placed it on his forehead, "Good lord, you almost got me killed."

"Mmph! Mmmmmph, mmph mmmph!" went Peashy as she shot him with a glare while having the lollipop stuck on her mouth.

"Blah, blah, blah. Deal with it kid, you're not going to see them until three days," said Dom as he looked at the girl with narrowed eyes. He immediately jumped back as she began to glow again, successfully crushing the lollipop between her teeth. Maybe provoking her wasn't such a good idea, "Alright, alright, alright! Fine! I'm sorry!"

The little Goddess calmed down once more and crossed her arms, closing her eyes while looking away with a huff, "Idiot!"

"This is why I hate children," muttered the young man before straightening himself, "In the meantime though, why don't you do me a favor? I'm sure you have a lot of free time until we're all set."

"It's not anything weird is it?" asked the blonde in a suspicious tone.

_That's just… Is that how they all viewed me? Dammit, _echoed Dom's mind before replying out loud, "Hell no. Look, it's about that girl you're with. I'm sure you know her already as Anya, right?"

"Yeah and she's my buddy wuddy!" answered Peashy in a proud tone.

"Thanks," said the boy in what seemed to be in a sincere manner.

"Why?" asked the little CPU with a curious look on her face.

Scratching the back of his head, the young man looked up at the ceiling as he replied, "Well… It's just that… that kid always had it hard on her, you know? That girl arrived a few months back after her only parent died during a performance. You do know what died means, right? You do? Well that's new; anyway, it was big news back then. Huge fire, a lot of people dead. It's a miracle she survived, too bad her mother didn't."

"But I thought Anya's mommy could do magic? Can't she use magic to come back to life?" suggested the little Goddess with all innocence of a child.

This seemed to amuse the boy for a sad chuckle escaped his lips, "I keep forgetting that you have a brain of a child. No… I doubt that even with all your powers of a Goddess, you wouldn't be able to bring someone back from the dead. No matter what world you're in, no one can truly bring back those who have passed on. The day Anya's mother died was also the day _she_ died. She was nothing more than a shell when she arrived here. She spoke to no one, ate her food alone, and the worst part of it was that she never made any friends. Not only is that, but the other imps in this orphanage making her life even more miserable."

"That's not nice," disagreed Peashy, a frown upon her visage, "That'll only make her sad. Why are they making her sad when she's already sad? Isn't that mean? Why is it that way?"

Dom shook his head, "I don't know. They seem to be blaming her for all of those deaths, all while ridiculing her by calling her mother a witch. I've already told the kids to knock it off yet… they're kids, of course they'll keep doing it no matter how many times I tell them."

"But that's not right!" the little Goddess stomped her foot once as she stared at the boy dead in the eyes, "They shouldn't be doing that. Anya is a nice girl! She didn't look like a bad person… She's not a bad guy, isn't she?"

"Of course not," agreed Dom with a nod, "Which is why I'm gonna ask you this favor. You're the only one who can do it, right?"

"I'll do it! What is it?" asked the blonde girl, her voice full of enthusiasm, "Tell me!"

"In the next three days of your stay, I want you to make her happy," explained the boy while placing his uninjured hand on his hip, "You're her first friend in months and it would be a shame if you disappeared on her all of a sudden. So in these three days, I want you to make her the happiest girl in the entire orphanage. However, you are not allowed to use your HDD or any of your powers. You will refrain from hitting anyone unless they threaten you, do you understand? Good. I'm entrusting Anya to you then."

"Yes," agreed the little Goddess, "I'll do my best, you just watch me!"

* * *

And that was the start of the first day, yet Peashy was stumped for ideas on making the girl at her side happy. Aside from the hasty history that weird guy in the green room gave her, she knew next to nothing about Anya. She didn't know what her favorite food was, her favorite color, her favorite toy and stuff. The little CPU's mind was filled with white noise as she thought hard and forced the gears of her childish mind to work. She made a promise with her new friend that she'll help her make lots of new buddies, but judging from the way the other children were avoiding them, it looked like a hopeless cause.

That was when she remembered something Neptuna said once upon a time, _CPUs who go back on their word are a bunch of smelly dogoos and aren't very nice CPUs!_

The little girl shivered. She didn't want to be a smelly dogoo and most of all she was nice CPU. She had to think up fast since she only had three days, like she said, she had to do her best and there was nothing that was going to stop her from accomplishing her goal.

"Peashy!" warned a voice yet it was too late.

_**THUD**_

Falling on her butt, the little Goddess rubbed her head while shooting a glare at the dented pole before her. At her side, a pretty black haired girl was offering to help her up. With a grateful grin, she gladly took it and said her thanks. The other girl didn't seem to have calmed down yet, she was fussing over her friend's forehead even if everything was alright. The two continued their way out into the wide backyard, ignoring the dent on the metal pole.

Outside, the shine was bright and there was only a few clouds overhead. It was already afternoon so a lot of children were playing. The backyard seemed to be a large playground with all the slides, seesaws, swings and animal rides that were around. A few boys were chasing each other, shooting each other with water guns while the young kids were playing at the sandbox. The girls were either playing at the swings or were playing house while most of the children were using the slide and seesaws. There were a number of children at the shades of the trees, quietly reading or sleeping.

These were children whom didn't have parents and were brought here to be taken care of. Anya was the same as the rest of them.

"Okay, Anya and Peashy will start now," said Peashy while placing both of her hands on her hips, giving the playground before her a satisfied look.

"W-W-What do you mean?" asked Anya in a timid manner, yelping as her friend grabbed her hands with a smile.

"We're going to make friends with everyone here, right now!" replied the blonde girl in an excited manner, "Wait here!"

"P-Peashy! Hold on!" cried the black haired girl in a hopeless manner, yet it was already too late.

As she watched her only friend run off into a group of children, Anya could feel her knees quaking in both nervousness and anticipation. She didn't exactly have a good reputation around the orphanage so she was wary of how some of the children would react to her. Her eyes settled upon her friend and watched in awe on how the little Goddess got along with them. They didn't seem scared or found her strange; in fact they looked like they were inviting her to play.

But then she saw how the little CPU was trying to tell them something. Her friend jumped up and down while flailing her arms. It seemed like she was telling them something very important. And then her blood froze. Peashy's group was approaching her. Seven children in total followed the little CPU as she led them towards where Anya was. Of course, being the reserved type of child, the human girl seemed to have gone stiff in shock. That many people coming out to meet her was a bit overwhelming. Just how did Peashy get them to listen? It didn't look like it mattered since they were already before her.

"Here she is!" announced the little blonde girl, patting her black haired friend with a happy voice, "She's very pretty isn't she? I told you I was telling the truth! Why don't you all play with her, it'll be more fun that way!"

"Oh, her?" asked one of the children, pointing a finger at Anya, making her flinch, "I've heard about her, she's so quiet sometimes. Can she really play?"

Clenching her fists, the human girl moved her body and hid behind the little Goddess, timidly peeking over her shoulder. Another child, a girl this time, tilted her head while smiling brightly, "Anya-chan wasn't it? If it's okay with you, you can play with us. Do you know how to play hide and seek? Come on, it'll be fun."

The black haired girl's grip on her friend's shoulder seemed to have loosened. Once the little CPU looked back, she found the human child blinking twice as if she misheard. It didn't look like she found another child being so nice to her aside from Peashy. Her lips parted as she hesitantly spoke up, "O-O-Okay…. I'll play."

The orphan whom just invited her approached her and took her by the hand, pulling her further into the playground. A smile slowly crept across Anya's face as she looked all around her and found out that her playmates were all anticipating the same game of hide and seek in which she was about to participate. She looked back at Peashy whom gave her the thumbs up; she waved back and returned the thumbs up before returning to her playmates.

The little Goddess huffed once and said to herself, "This is easier than I thought."

And so the day wore on and everything went smoother than expected. At the end of the day, it seemed like Anya made some new friends, it only turned out that she was so reclusive that she didn't know how to approach other people to play with them. The little Goddess remedied that by forcing her into it. The only thing that held the human child back was that she was afraid that they'll be the same as the children whom were hurting her. That's one thing she was proven wrong.

The sun eventually sank into the west and all of the children were called for dinner. The two girls still ate with each other while the others ate with their own groups. Once again it looked like they were being left out yet they didn't care. The moment they were done, they quickly headed for the washroom and bathed. A few minutes later they went out and headed to their bedrooms. On their way they met up with the Sister whom told them that they could sleep in one room if they wanted. That particular news delighted the two girls.

So then, they decided to stay at Peashy's room with the little Goddess wearing some brand new sleep wear for the night. Since it was a long way from lights out, the two little girls exchanged stories with each other throughout the remaining hours. Being the child she is, the blonde girl didn't hesitate telling her friend about everything she knew her own home, her own world, and her friends. She told stories of battle that she won and discoveries she made, Anya had no trouble believing it all.

The wonders of being a child.

Little did they know that their time was up and it was time to go to sleep. Anya shut off the lights and crawled on the bed next to her snoring friend. With a content smile on her face she drifted into the world of dreams, imagining herself fighting beside her new friend against the evil bad guys.

…..

….

…

Morning arrived like a swift steed, the bright rays of sunshine waking the two girls ten seconds before the Sister knocked on their doors and went in. After being told off for looking like zombies first thing the morning, they were quickly sent into the washroom to tidy themselves up. A new set of clothes were on Peashy's bed when she came back, a note saying that her used clothes were being washed. She didn't mind, yet she will definitely miss her paw gloves.

After being dragged into breakfast by her friend, the little Goddess ate with the ferocity of a bear, successfully ingesting three sandwiches and two servings of bacon and eggs. Anya couldn't help but be worried and tell the blonde girl off about choking for eating so fast. Once they were done, the quest for making new friends for the human girl began anew.

They traversed through the mansion's many corridors, meeting a lot of children on their way, and with Peashy's help and presence, the black haired girl decided to step up her game and talk to the other orphans herself. This went nicely since a lot of children were happy to be friends with her. Though some needed to be defeated by persistence before they finally gave in, they didn't want to be involved with her at first yet after spending a few minutes and helping them a bit they finally acknowledged her as a friend.

Anya was very happy at how things were proceeding. The little Goddess at that moment somehow noticed something. While the other kids they met up with were the same age as her friend was, they all seemed to be pleasant and very kind. True that some were wary at first yet they turned out to be nice people in the end. The only thing she noticed was that the children which she identified as the ones older than them were giving the black haired girl glares at the edge of their vision and were whispering in hushed voices.

Despite that, they didn't do anything and merely let the human girl do as she pleased. The morning passed by and lunch was served, what was surprising was that the two were no longer alone. A bunch of kids, the ones they met up with yesterday and that morning, all gathered around their table and ate with them. The sheer pressure of being with so many people finally weighed down on poor Anya and caused tears to slowly slide down her cheeks. Everyone was alarmed at the moment yet looking at her smile made them all think twice, this was the first time she actually ate with a lot of people in a long, long while.

Afternoon arrived in which the children all played games to their hearts content a truly enjoyable day for all. And so passed the second day and entered the third. This was where things were getting interesting.

"This is for me?" asked Peashy while curiously examining the item on her friend's palm, "Um, what is it?"

"It's a hairclip, it's something that'll make you prettier!" replied Anya with a bright smile, in contrast with the somber expression she always had on her face, "I made it myself, I hope you like it."

The late summer air blew over them, rustling the leaves of the tree above them. Almost all of the other kids were watching a movie inside the orphanage and a few were left at the large backyard going about their business. Apparently, the two girls sat under the shade of a large tree as they were watching the sky. Everything was silent up until the moment the black haired girl presented her gift.

The little Goddess tilted her head from left to write before slowly picking up the hairclip while still looking at it, "But… I don't have anything to give you…"

"That's alright," said the human child, "It's for you so everything's okay."

"I can't keep this!" argued the blonde girl, "T-This is yours and… you're giving it to me. I might break it and I'll make you cry. Compa said to me that her grandpa told her that if someone gave you something you should give them something back."

"Is that so~?" asked the black haired girl before widening her eyes as her friend took off the glove on her left hand, "W-What are you doing?"

"I'm giving you this!" replied the little CPU, placing the glove on her friend's hand, "And this!"

Anya's entire body went stiff as her friend leaned forward and planted a kiss on her forehead. Her face immediately went red a moment after that.

"Ploot always told me that friends always need to be… ini…inimitate? Intmeta?" a frown formed upon Peashy's face as she thought hard about the word she was looking for. It certainly did not help her friend since the black haired girl's embarrassment level was reaching breaking point. One would be able to imagine steam blowing out of her ears just before she went limp and fell to the side.

It took the little Goddess three seconds to realize what happened and start shaking her friend's side to wake her up, "Helloooo? Wake up! Anya? Anya!"

She then stood up and told the unconscious girl in a panicked tone, "I-I-I'll go get someone! Stay here!"

With that she turned her back on her friend and ran off to fetch someone who could help. The human child lay there motionless, feeling the soft grass beneath her cheek as a gentle breezed caressed her face. She was awake the whole time yet for some reason she didn't dare speak. Blinking twice, she tried to wrap her mind around what just happened, what was this weird feeling she had? It sure was strange.

Staying where she was, she remained still, hugging Peashy's glove on her chest. Oh dear, it seemed like something was blocking out the sun, causing the girl to curiously look up.

* * *

"Come on! Hurry!" the little Goddess urged to the person behind her as she ran as fast as her little legs could let her.

"Oh come on, why me of all people? This is your problem!" complained a young man with a cast wrapped around his injured arm. He seemed to be out of breath and was barely keeping up with the little girl's pace.

A mere eight minutes had gone by ever since Peashy left her friend outside. During her rather short flight through the orphanage, the only person she found that seemed to be able to help was a poor injured young man with only one working arm. Justified that he was the first person she saw, but she really needed to find someone better suited for the job. Nevertheless, Dom decided to accompany her back to where her friend was. It turned out that the girl was no longer alone.

"Peashy! You're back," called Anya as she waved. There were two people beside her, a man and a woman. Judging from their looks they seemed to be a married couple, both seemed quite young too.

The little Goddess slowly came to a halt as she blinked in confusion, "Who are they?"

"It's Anya's new parents," answered Dom as he came to her side. He glanced at her and released a small sigh while nudging her forward, "Come on, they're waiting."

"Ah, good afternoon," greeted the man, standing up from the black haired girl's side, "You must be the owner's son. We're here to arrange the necessary papers."

Crossing his arms, the boy replied, "The Sister's inside, you can speak to her regarding the documents."

"Thank you, but I must say," said the woman with a small smile, "I never really expected her to be this happy. All those visits we had in the past few weeks, she was just… oh thank you… We'll be sure to keep this girl smiling. We promise."

"Yeah, it'll be nice if you that," Dom then nodded to the couple as they made their way into the orphanage, waving towards Anya as they went.

After waving at them the black haired girl's smile didn't vanish. In fact, she seemed pretty happy too. Peashy on the other hand remained quiet throughout the whole exchange; a frown was on her face as she studied her friend's cheerful demeanor. It didn't look like she quite understood what just happened.

"They weren't bullying you?" asked the little Goddess with a suspicious look on her face, "are you sure? Are you really, really, sure?"

Anya let out a giggle at her friend's questions, "Yes, I'm sure. They're really nice to me… It's just that… I wasn't very nice to them when they visited me in the past. I'm really glad though, I'll finally have a mommy and daddy, isn't that great news?"

A chilly wind blew overhead, rustling the leaves above them. It took the little CPU a moment before cracking a grin on her face, "Woohoo! Congrats! Now you'll never be lonely! You have a mommy, a daddy, and a lot of buddies too!"

"Yes, it's all thanks to you," said the black haired girl with a bright smile, "If I didn't meet you then I wouldn't be able to make all of those friends. Thanks Peashy! You really are an Angel!"

"No problemo! Imma Goddess!" boasted the blonde with much enthusiasm.

Everything went better than expected.

* * *

The sun made its slow descent over the west as the clouds above raced past each other. A flock of birds could be heard above as they migrated someplace else. Down at the orphanage, a group of children were gathered out at the front, all of them were saying good bye to a certain black haired child. Even if she only made friends with them for three days, she sure had fun. It sure was a waste, all of those months she spent with them and only befriending them a few days before she goes away.

It sure was pretty mean of her.

Still, it all seemed to happen so fast. One day, she was all alone and sad, and now she had a new family and a whole lot of friends, not to mention that she was happy. And to think that all of this was possible just because of one person. A girl that found a special place in he memories.

"Anya, dear, it's time to go," said her stepfather, giving her a warm smile before entering the driver's seat of his car.

Feeling a gentle hand touch her shoulder, the black haired girl looked up at her stepmother whom said, "You should say goodbye now. Don't worry, you can visit them any time you want. They are your friends, after all."

She turned her gaze back into the crowd of children. All of them bidding her farewell and wishing her good luck. It was always like this whenever the other children found new homes in the arms of their new parents. She never knew that a lot of people would gather juts to see her off. It was such a shame, just before she was going to be able to be accepted by her new friends.

Just before she entered the car though, she scanned the crowd one last time for a glimpse of blonde hair. Her head hung low as she failed to find any sign of it and got in the car. A small smile appeared on her face as she waved goodbye.

"Bye bye, Peashy," whispered Anya as her car drove off.

…..

….

…

"Wha! This. . so. BOUNCY!" laughed the little Goddess as she bounced up and down the rather springy sofa. The cool atmosphere brought by the air conditioner was refreshing, perfect for the usually hot summer weather. The mint colored walls of the office seemed to increase the effect ten-fold.

Dom sat nearby the window, looking out as he watched the maroon car drive out of view and into the city. He never really expected for things to work out so well. Turning his attention at the annoyance in the office, he then noted that the only thing that made this all possible was this idiot. To think his half assed plan of getting Anya to be happy would work, it seemed like miracles do exist. But… was it all right for things to go this way? Looking at Peashy now she doesn't seem to mind, Anya too didn't seem all that sad.

Maybe he was just overthinking things again. Everything went better than expected, that's all that mattered. Compared to the other Goddesses that landed in this Reality of his, Peashy's stay went all smooth without any bumps. Yet what was this uneasy feeling he had in his chest.

"Hey Dummy," called a voice, causing the boy to stare at the little blonde girl. With her head tilted to the side in confusion, she asked, "Is Anya going to be okay?"

"Of course she is," replied Dom in a bored manner, "She's got a couple of rather sensible people behind her so she'll be alright."

"Oh…" came the little CPU's voice. Judging from her tone, she probably had something to say yet found it hard, "Am I going to see her again?"

…

"I don't know," answered the boy, "Maybe… someday… It depends if the universe wills it. It seems like you finally know how they felt that time."

"Huh?" Peashy gave him a confused look.

Releasing a deep sigh, Dom began to explain, "There came a time when your… 'parents' came to get you too, right? You and Neptune had quite a spat. They felt really bad back then, I'm sure that they've told you. I'm sure you feel some similar emotion now, even if you don't show it."

"I don't really get it… but…" sitting properly on the sofa she was bouncing on, a grin appeared upon the little girl's face, "I promised Anya that I won't feel sad. I'll be happy since she's happy. Anya's always been alone and sad, even if I met her in a little time, she's my friend! And I'll never cry! I'm strong! I'm a Goddess! Goddesses don't cry! Those are poopy!"

_Goddesses don't cry, huh?_ Echoed Dom's mind as images of the past CPUs he had encountered came in mind, _You have no idea how damned lucky you are, kid._

"Right, Goddesses are strong and so are you," he said out loud as he stood up, reaching into his pocket and unfolding a piece of paper, "Okay, now why don't we play a game? All you need to do is close your eyes, and count to three. Simple, aye? After you count, you can open your eyes."

"Really? Okay!" chirped Peashy as she closed her eyes, "One… Two…"

There was the sound of paper fluttering followed by a strange humming of power in the air, "Three."

Happy End.

* * *

_Nicolas Note:_

_Greetings reader, this was quite a chapter, hm? Almost nothing happened aside from cute girls doing cute stuff. Ahh, if only things went on like this. Forgive me for any misinterpretation I had with peashy's personality. I'm still quite not used to her. Well, seeing as she had the mindset of a child, I thought she'll be much easier to write about. Unfortunately, the arc following Nepgear's was supposed to be Uni's, however due to various reasons that had occurred, I can't find it in me to write Black Sister's plot without doing something I'll regret. _

_It was because of that that I was forced to pull out the Peashy Arc earlier than planned. I apologize for those expecting Uni, but oh well. If there's anything you can help me in regards to Uni or Peashy's personality, traits and speech pattern, I'll gladly acc_ept _them. Heh, so it seems to me this brings to an end to Peashy's adventures in our Reality, it was short but it sure was fun, aye? _

_I'll see you all next time!_

_Yahoo~_

* * *

**ANYA…..**

**FRIEND…?**

**WHERE AM I? ANYONE…? WHY AM I ALONE..?**

**I'M SCARED…. I'M SCARED…**

**NO…NO….NO! I DON'T WANNA GO! SEND ME BACK! SEND ME BACK, SEND ME BACK, SEND ME BACK, SEND ME BACK, SEND ME BACK ,SEND ME BACK, SEND ME BACK ,SEND ME BACK, SEND ME BACK, SEND ME BACK, SEND ME BACK, SEND ME BACK, SEND ME BACK, SEND ME BACK, SEND ME BACK, SEND ME BACK, SEND ME BACK, SEND ME BACK!**

**NEPTUNA! PLOOT! ANYONE? SAVE ME! HELP! HELP! I'M SCARED! MOMMY! DADDY! **

…**.**

**Anyone..?**

* * *

_Oops, I lied. __It's only the start..._


	10. Chapter 10: Sunny days

There was once a young man named Dom, an ordinary boy whom was very hungry.

The hunger he felt was mind numbing, causing him mild headaches as he fought off the urge to eat anything expensive. With only a handful of money in hand due to his idiocy that he left his wallet back at his apartment. Walking his way through the crowd of people, his mind wandered elsewhere in an attempt to ignore his hunger. Heading to Dia's house would be a bad idea since no one would be there, the girl herself was busy doing nightshift at a local convenience store so making her cook dinner was out of the question. Then again, walking all the way back to the apartment to retrieve a wallet seemed too much of a pain. All hail laziness.

It was always the summer evening where it was coldest. It was the best time for a person to walk around amongst the more populated areas of Tokyo. Due to the recent mugging incidents happening in dark corners of the city, a wanderer like the young man we are observing now are now wisely killing time walking with a lot of people. Still, some had to be wary of pickpockets though.

While Dom's mind was someplace else, he didn't realize where he was going and accidentally hit someone by the shoulder. His attention caught he then said, "Ah, sorry. I wasn't looking."

With two more apologies, he watched the retreating figure of the person he hit merge with the crowd.

_Wait a second…_ Looking around with a frown, he suddenly felt a great unease around him, _Didn't… this happen before? _

It was strange. Two nights ago, he was walking the same streets with the same clothes he was wearing now. He could remember the face of the person he just collided with and recall the feeling of the emptiness of his stomach. Rubbing his forehead, he made an attempt to gather his thoughts. He was so sure that he just thought of the same things five minutes ago when he was wandering about the area.

On whim, he took out his mobile phone from his pocket and looked at it. His mouth unknowingly swung open as he saw the date. It was the same date, time, and day as it was three days ago. But wait, it couldn't be three days ago since the date in his phone was the same as then. This was one huge case of déjà vu he was having, and he didn't find it amusing. Not one bit.

He lifted his gaze up into the sky and muttered to no one in particular, "What the hell are you trying to pull on me now, universe?"

If his suspicion was to be trusted, then it would seem that he was sent back in time, specifically three days ago. But why?

Now it seemed to him that it was that question which had him stumped right then. Something must've gone wrong, yet where? All he could remember was… Anya being happy, Anya making friends, Anya being adopted, Peashy saying goodbye to Anya, and then… sending Peashy home…

"Peashy… Anya…" Dom unlocked his phone and moved to someplace quiet. Surfing through his contacts, he finally found the person he was looking for and immediately pressed the 'call' button. Three heartbeats passed by before somebody picked up.

"_Hello?_"

"Ma'am, it's me, Adrian,"

"_Oh? I thought you were going to visit a few hours later. Did something happen?"_

"Sorry, but I need to ask you something. Is Anya back yet? You know, black hair and timid girl."

"_What are you saying, Adrian?"_

"Huh?"

"_Anya-chan's been taken by her new family months ago. It was December back then, a few days before Christmas."_

New family..? Months ago..? Dom didn't quite understand any of it, "Ah… Alright. Look, I'm sorry, but I won't be able to check up on the orphanage for now. I've got some things to do."

"_Is that so? Well, I understand, but why were you asking about Anya all of a sudden? Did you happen to meet her?"_

"It's nothing…" lied the boy, "I'm gonna go now. Thanks for answering. Bye."

He hung up and placed his phone back into his pocket. With a sigh, he began to think. Something was wrong, very wrong. The Sister had just said that Anya no longer lived in the orphanage but with a new family. Just what did that mean? The Anya _he_ knew always stayed at the orphanage and never really had the courage to accept her new family. It didn't look as if he went back time, no; the thing that was happening around him was something similar. Was he sent into another world? A mirror world coexisting with his own? If this was a different world, he had to make sure.

Once again taking out his phone, he went through the contacts one more time and called another person. Thankfully that person picked up in no time.

"_What do you want, Dom?"_

"Go die in an abandoned hole and rot, bitch," on instinct, the boy then placed his phone as far as he can from his ear.

"_WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, YOU BASTARD?! IT'S SEVEN IN THE EVENING AND THAT'S ALL YOU HAD TO SAY?! GO TO HELL!"_

She hung up.

Yup, still same old Dia. That certainly ruled out the possibility of the world being a mirror one. He had to find out more about this phenomenon. Was Anya's existence the only that has been altered? If so, what was the cause? Histoire's page? That could be a theory right there, but the boy had to asked the Tome herself about the matter. For now, he had to answer a few questions by himself.

That's when he remembered it. From what he could remember before the time jump, Anya was the one who brought Peashy into the orphanage. So that would mean that somehow, somewhere, those two were to meet tonight. But then again, Anya was no longer in the orphanage that would mean that she and Peashy would never meet. If they wouldn't meet then it would be the same for him and the little Goddess.

Domino effect.

"Not good," breathed Dom as he gritted his teeth. This would be seriously bad. There's no telling if the little CPU was still in town or not, if she was sent back into Gamindustri or not. Knowing his luck, the boy was pretty sure things didn't go exactly as planned. Once again, he silently cursed the universe for his predicament.

Moving through the sea of people, he began to think once more. The Goddess had to be somewhere around the city, somewhere she'll be close enough to the orphanage. For one thing, he didn't know when the CPU exactly met Anya and their exact location. Searching for Peashy would be nigh impossible on foot and he didn't know whether the Goddess Bubble would track the attention people around him. It didn't look like he had much of a choice; he'll have to find her one way or another.

However just as he was about to cross the pedestrian lane along with the crowd, he managed to catch the sight of a child wearing bright yellow clothing. She stood there, gazing through the glass of a toy store with eyes filled with curiosity and wonder. It seemed like luck decided to shine down on him a bit at that moment.

Just as the sea of people he was with began to thin, he quickly quickened his pace and went to the other side of the street. He reached out with his hand and tapped the little girl on her shoulder, unsurprisingly startling her as she spun around.

"Finally found you," sighed the boy in relief, "I really thought that I was going to have to search the city."

Peashy stared at him for a moment, blinking twice in confusion before her face formed a frown, "Who… are you?"

"Huh?" Dom stood before her with surprised eyes as his brain struggled to process what she just said. He was certain for a moment that he had misheard her yet just by looking at her eyes and balled up fists, he knew that her confusion was genuine. He also noted that her left hand was missing a glove, "It's me, Adrian Dom. I let you stay in my orphanage with your friend Anya. You even gave her your glove, remember?"

Looking at her bare-hand and then back again at the boy, the little Goddess then said, "You stole my glove…"

"What? Of course not! Why would I—"On instinct, Dom shielded his face with his arms.

_**BOOM**_

The sound of glass falling followed the sudden explosion. A warm gust blew about, blocking out the startled noise of the civilians just before it was accompanied by a strange hum of energy in the air. Once it was safe enough to lower his arms, Dom shot a glare at the little girl before him. It didn't look like they minded that they were making a scene or the fact that a lot of people had gathered around them, what was worthy of concern was that Peashy was glowing.

And that was not a good sign.

"Give it back! Give it back to me, it's mine!" yelled the little CPU as she stomped her foot, causing the ground to shake.

A light tremor averted the onlooker's attention and drove them into a brief conclusion. Thinking fast, the boy had to act as quickly as possible. Having Peashy activate her powers in the middle of a crowd would be very bad, and he was sure that no one would be happy about the broken window. He had to get her out of there and there was only one way to do that.

_This is gonna suck,_ he thought as he said out loud, "Yeah, I stole your glove. You want it? You gotta catch me first."

"Y-You! I'll beat you up!" growled the little CPU as her eyes began to shine, cue for the boy to turn tail and run.

"Excuse me!" yelled Dom as he pushed aside the people in front of him. Glancing behind, it seemed that the little Goddess had just finished processing what just happened and had begun to give chase. She hasn't turned into HDD yet which was good, if only she'll stay as a human for a little while.

Still, he hasn't made a plan on how to calm her down yet. Provoking her like that would definitely lead her to follow him, but at the same time convincing her that he wasn't a bad person would be hard. He mentally kicked himself for his impulsive behavior, now what was he going to do? One thing was clear though, he had to get her away from the crowds. The less people involved with Goddesses, the better. All he had to do now was to lure her to some place isolated.

He slowed down a bit and turned around, seeing that the little girl was still after him, he decided to taunt her just keep her attention on him, "Is that all? You're a real slowpoke, you know that?

As he shoved people aside while muttering half-hearted apologies, he wondered how this was all possible. If his memory could be trusted then Peashy was supposed to be sent back into Gamindustri. Yet why was she here? Why was the date the same as it had three days ago? Why was he the only one who could remember this and understand everything?

The past three days couldn't be a dream since the little Goddess hand was missing a glove that was supposed to be the gift she gave Anya. Now that he thought of it, didn't Anya give her a gift too? Wouldn't that calm her a bit by any chance? Maybe restore a bit of her memories? A sigh escaped his lips. Thinking of out of this world solutions just by being chased by an angry kid Goddess. The wonders of reality screwing up could do, it's amazing, really…

"Crap!" A person had suddenly appeared out of nowhere a few feet away from Dom. Any attempt on stopping himself would be futile since he had gathered too much momentum; a crash was going to be inevitable so all he could do was brace himself. The impact was strong enough for him to be knocked into the ground, same as the person he just hit. Not good, he couldn't stay long, if Peashy found him now then—

"Watch where you're going!" snapped the person the boy hit. It kinda sounded familiar too.

"Dia?" asked Dom in mild surprise as he stared at his fallen best friend right in front of him. Gritting his teeth, he then got up and grabbed the brunette by her hand and helped her up.

"Wha— Dom?! Of all people why are you—?" she cut off mid-sentence as the boy suddenly threw her into a random direction.

"I'll remember your sacrifice!" he grunted as he shoved her with all his strength.

Lucky for the girl, she managed to plant her foot firmly in front of her just before she fell. Her right hand instantly turning into a fist, she got ready to grab the boy and unleash upon him her unholy wrath… That was until a small person collided on her front. Grabbing the one who hit her by the shoulders, she then found out that the person was a little girl with glowing orange eyes. So this was the person Dom was running from, just by looking at her eyes, the brunette could tell that she wasn't human.

Her eyes and that of the child's met for a moment, it seemed like she was a second away from being cast aside for the chase to continue. Dia unconsciously raised her hand and laid it on top of the little girl's head. This action seemed to surprise the little Goddess and immediately switched off her power. Without knowing, the brunette had begun rubbing the top of the little girl's head, for some reason Peashy was staying still.

"Cute…" were the words that left the human girl's lips, "She's so cute… You're a Goddess aren't you?"

The little blonde wordlessly nodded her head, her shoulders trembled as her hands shook. She seemed to be close to tears.

"Do you want me to punch him?" asked Dia to which she was replied with another nod.

In three graceful steps, the brunette reached the dumbfounded boy before he even knew it, clenching her right hand into a fist while giving him one of the sweetest smiles she could muster. Her fist then connected with his jaw with an audible smack. Dom was knocked out cold. He would've fallen on the pavement had not his best friend caught him by the collar, his body hanging lifeless.

She glanced behind her to give the little girl another smile while saying, "Do you want to be friends?"

* * *

The following morning sure started with a bang.

"I told you this was a bad idea," grumbled a boy wearing a light polo shirt and black pants, his arms crossed as his eyebrows twitched in annoyance, "I mean look at this place, it's like a warzone."

"It'll be fine, don't worry," assured a girl with long brown hair wearing a pink blouse beneath a yellow apron, "It's not like I'm losing anything important."

"She broke the plasma screen TV, threw the Wii mote out of a closed window, shattering it all while stomping on the floor with enough strength to topple a freaking bookshelf. I understand that she's not breaking anything important, BUT FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE KEEP HER FROM WRECKING YOUR HOUSE DOWN!" yelled the boy with great passion; it didn't seem like his friend cared one bit, "AND THAT COFFEE TABLE COST TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND YEN! THAT'S EXPENSIVE!"

"Yeah, well, it wasn't mine to begin with. This was house was your family's property, right?" replied the girl in a carefree manner. Seeing her friend's look of disbelief delighted her.

Dom slumped forward as an air of gloom hung above him, "You're enjoying this aren't you? Money doesn't grow on trees you know?"

Following the rather disastrous evening, the little Goddess agreed to stay at Dia's house for the time being, probably as thanks for punishing the one who 'stole' her glove. Like with any other Goddess that had descended upon the Real World, it wasn't that surprising that Peashy grew fond of the brunette almost immediately. Something her best friend seemed to be irritated with. Once the late night dinner was finished, the two friends then began to fill the little CPU about the world she was in (Having memories of the past three days, Dom left most of the explanation to Dia since he didn't want to repeat himself).

It took quite a while though, what with the child's constant questions and short attention span. Eventually they managed to tell her most of the things that she needed to know. Her eyes lit up at the mention of Neptune and Nepgear staying at the house a few weeks back, and ever since that moment, the bond between the brunette and the blonde seemed to have grown stronger. The sight of them being cuddly disturbed the boy in every angle possible.

Still, it was better than having the child stay at his apartment. Seeing the destruction as he arrived at his friend's house that morning, he considered himself very lucky. Having finished breakfast early, Dia explained to her flabbergasted companion that Peashy had little bit too much fun playing with the console at her house. Despite not showing it, the brunette looked like she didn't get some sleep, of course her face clearly said that it was worth it.

Right now, the little CPU had her eyes glued upon the smaller television set reserved for emergency situation and was watching a program for children. Being a person from another world, she was easily fascinated by the show she was watching.

"Mami-chan, no!" she cried in alarm as one of the anime character were killed on screen, "Bad Charlotte! You didn't have to do that!"

Dom placed a hand on his forehead while saying, "Is it really okay for her to be watching that? That show's depressing."

"She likes magical girls, who knew?" replied Dia with a smile, casually taking pictures of the little Goddess with a camera, "I never knew Goddesses could be this cute!"

"Someone's going to be sued for this, you know?" muttered the boy as he crossed his arms.

"Something's in your mind, right? What's up with that call last night?" asked the girl as she gave her friend a sideward glance.

"What call?" shot back Dom with a raised eyebrow.

"The one where you mercilessly threw insults over the phone?" replied Dia.

"Oh, that," scratching the back of his head, the boy thought up of a proper answer, "Well, I was just checking if you're still you. Hey, don't give me that look some weird shit's happening and I don't have a single idea as to why. Before you ask, no, I'm not paranoid and I'm not about snap under the pressure of this impossible problem we have with Goddesses existing."

"If so, then what the hell is your problem?" asked the girl.

"This isn't the first time Peashy went into this world," explained her friend, "I'm not kidding, I already sent her back if my head could be trusted, but she's here right now. Last night was supposed to be the first time I met her, it was the date that was supposed to be three days back."

"So you're saying you got sent back in time, huh?" said Dia in an intrigued manner, "Some kind of loop? Like in the movies?"

"Probably, I don't know. It's really confusing. The Peashy that I first met was friends with a girl named Anya. I gave her the task of helping that orphan on gathering as much friends as possible," a sigh escaped Dom's lips as he continued, "Well, they succeeded and all was well and dandy. I sent her back into Gamindustri after sunset and the rest of that was all blank. Next thing I knew I was walking the same street as I did supposedly three days ago, which was last night. One thing led to another and here we are now."

A light smack on the head forced his vision down. It didn't hurt yet he still rubbed the area on his head on instinct. He turned his gaze at his friend whom was shaking her head while having a hand on her hips.

"Seriously, you really got yourself into something deep now, huh?" Dia shot him a hard look as she went on, "Obviously, you did something wrong and now you screwed up something very important in our reality. As to why, maybe you should ask someone who's expert on the subject."

"Like who? Her?" the boy jabbed a finger at the little Goddess.

"Histoire, idiot," pointed out the brunette, "She's the only one who knows these things. We're more or less patrols for lost Goddesses, taking them in and sending them back. If there's anyone who'll get what's going on, it's her. Hopefully the loop wouldn't affect her Dimension."

"Fine, I'll try and talk to her," said Dom with a grimace, "I gotta say though; you're taking this awfully calmly. Spouting things that the 'me' to months ago would've found funny."

"There's nothing funny with being friends with ridiculously powerful beings," giggled Dia while patting her friend on the shoulder, "Seriously, you need to get used to these once in a while."

* * *

Dom had taken his leave just before lunch time, saying that he'll immediately get to work by contacting Histoire. This left Dia alone with Peashy whom was still grieving for the loss of her favorite magical girl. She then took the chance to clean up a bit after the child's mess while the child in question was preoccupied. After hauling out the broken television on her own, replacing the broken window with an extra one from her storehouse and restoring her living room to its former glory, all that was left was to straighten her fallen shelf.

Lucky for her, the little Goddess had noticed her efforts and took the initiative to help her. It kind of surprised her to see a mere child push a six feet tall wooden shelf on her own, then again this kid was a Divine Being.

"Alright! All done here!" announced Peashy while turning to the human girl's direction.

Dia, whom was picking up the scattered contents of her shelf, looked at the blonde's direction and gave her a smile, "Good job Peashy. I never knew you were reliable."

"Hungry!" cheered the little girl as she jumped up and down, "Lunch time!"

Blinking twice, the brunette glanced at her clock and found out that it was indeed lunch time. Placing the items she had on her arms on her coffee table, she passed by the little CPU and rubbed her head, "Don't worry, I'll get cooking. What would you like?"

"Pudding!" chirped Peashy with much enthusiasm.

"That's a dessert," pointed out the elder girl with an amused expression.

"D'aww…"

"But I'll make you some if you'd like."

"Yay!"

This time, she kept the little Goddess preoccupied with her old art set while she worked. Her body then entered autopilot as her mind wandered to someplace else, namely the discussion she had with her friend before he left. She knelt down and opened two small doors below her sink and took out a tin pan and pouring some sugar to begin the caramelizing. With each Goddess that they meet, the stranger do things that happen around them become.

First was Neptune, while being harmless throughout the stay, being emotionally attached to Dia prevented her from leaving the Real World almost killed her. That was the first time the happenings began. Nepgear came in next, yet half-way through her stay, the two friends discovered that they were with an imposter the whole time. Engaging the imposter almost got them killed if they weren't lucky enough. And now this, time travel? Her best friend being caught in a loop? Just what would happen next?

"Dee Dee! Lookie here!" called Peashy while holding up a crude drawing of a big pink man and a woman with blue hair standing on either side of a girl in yellow. There were a lot more people in the picture; Dia recognized Neptune and Nepgear almost immediately.

She gave the child the thumbs up and went back to work with a smile. She remembered her resolve when she sent Nepgear home. The resolve that will help her push through any reality defying events that would question her way of living. She would help any Goddess that would come knocking on her doorstep, regardless of the consequences. Peashy was no different.

Finally mixing the right ingredients, she finally placed the incomplete pudding in the oven toaster to bake.

"Peashy, can I ask you something?" the human girl said in a soft tone.

"But… you already did," replied Peashy in a confused manner.

"Heh, maybe I did. Anyway, aren't you feeling weird anywhere?" asked Dia as casually as she could, "Have you ever heard of Déjà vu?"

A frown appeared upon the little Goddess' face, "I don't think so. What is it?"

"Repetition. A feeling that you've done something even though you didn't yet," explained the human girl, "For example, you talk to somebody or have been at one place at some point, when suddenly you get the feeling that you already talked to the person about the same topic or maybe you'll get the feeling that you've already been to the same place without knowing it. Don't you feel that you've already went through today once?"

"I don't get it," the little CPU put in bluntly with a blank look.

"Hm, maybe you don't, but it's really important you know," the brunette turned her attention at the oven toaster as a loud ring spread through the air. She opened it and took out the tin pan, allowing the pudding to cool for a little while, "If there's anything that you want to know or would like some help with, please don't hesitate to ask me."

The little girl's stomach rumbled as she caught the delicious scent of food. She stared down on her front and absentmindedly rubbed her belly, "Uuu~, I think there is…."

Realizing the child's look, Dia cracked a small smile and gave her the finished pudding and a spoon. How long has it been since she's heard of that place. And this girl was supposedly to come from there. Of course due to some laser guided amnesia, Peashy had no recollection of the past three days from what Dom had said. Even if Dia asked her how much the place had changed, she won't remember anything.

A choking noise brought her back to reality when she noticed the little CPU flailing her arms. She had managed to give Peashy a glass of water to wash down her food, much to the blonde girl's relief.

"Geez, that's what you get for eating so fast. Be careful next time," scolded the brunette while patting the Goddess' back, "We'll have to give you some new clothes since you stink. After you finish you meal, I'll give you a nice warm bath. Sounds good?"

"Don't wanna!" said Peashy with a huff while crossing her arms.

"I'll force you then," replied Dia in serious manner while maintaining a false smile on her face. To its great effect, it was enough to make the child nod vigorously in agreement. The elder girl then released a deep sigh and crossed her arms. Her gaze fixed on the ceiling as she was lost in thought once more.

_Well Dom, how are you going to get yourself out of this one?_

* * *

Footsteps echoed throughout the white void accompanied by a strange humming noise from the environment. Purple cubes mingled with white ones as they floated through the air, levitating due to an unseen force. Among them were large platforms, branching out to the horizon in a seemingly endless manner. If one would look over the edge of these platforms and cubes, staring back at them would be a white abyss with cubes that bore the resemblance of water gushing down a fall.

A lone figure could be seen walking on one of the white platforms, hands deep in his jacket's pockets as he kept walking straight. Dom came to a halt as he looked around him, looking like as if he was searching for something. Unfortunately, whatever it was, he didn't find it. This only annoyed him further. Three hours have gone by since he has transported himself into this godforsaken void. The person he expected to hold all of his answers was nowhere in sight, which was impossible since to get to this place he needed her permission.

He figured that she would be nearby doing… something. The Tome he was looking for wasn't the type to hide so she must be running late. He just hoped she would appear sooner though, walking around with nothing but cubes and nauseating abyss to look at was boring.

A sigh escaped his lips as he trudged on, "Come on… show yourself already…"

Well this only gave him more time to think of his predicament. To be sent back in time was something new to him and with his memories intact at that. Well not necessarily at first yet he somehow regained them with little to no problem. Peashy on the other hand had hers completely reset with a few things in the world tweaked up a bit like Anya being adopted just months ago. This led him to question if he was sent into a parallel world. That theory still stands until he has asked Histoire so it's not impossible not to be in one.

"It's not impossible to have an entire multiverse too," muttered the boy, keeping his eyes fixed on the floor he was walking on, "How do I know if I'm living in the real one? Now that I think of it, there's bound to be a world where I don't exist or am a completely different person. Surreal thought…. Heh, there's probably a 'me' that's a resident of Gamindustri… This just sucks…"

Along with that, he silently thought if he somehow met himself. Funny idea, he'd probably get along or punch himself in the face. Dimensions crisscrossing would spell endless chaos, just thinking about it hurt. Maybe he should just focus on his own dimension for now, the others could wait later.

"Oh no! I'm sorry to keep you waiting!" called a faint childish voice. Dom raised his eyebrows and turned around, only to get hit by something soft yet hard on the face. Suffice to say that he got knocked down.

Rubbing his face with a groan, Dom then shot a glare at the perpetrator, "Watch it! You could've killed someone!"

"I deeply apologize! I never realized I was running late and transported myself here at full speed," said Histoire, the tiny one judging from her looks, "Um, are you okay? You seem to be tired, is there anything wrong?"

"Making me wait three whole hours. What the hell were you thinking!?" snarled the boy as he got up and dusted his clothes, "I told you what I got to say was urgent!"

Bowing her head, the Tome uttered a deep sigh, "Please forgive me. Neptune has been raising a fuss since Peashy disappeared. I take it that you found her?"

"Wait, nothing's changed on your side?" asked Dom in a surprised manner, "You weren't affected by the whole time jump?"

"Time… jump? Would you kindly explain," requested Histoire in a more concerned fashion.

A huff came from the boy as he crossed his arms to elaborate, "Exactly four days ago, Peashy wound up in my world. Everything was okay back then since she made a friend that'll keep a leash on her. She didn't seem to know where she was at first but I gave her the crash course on where exactly she was. After that I let her play around while I waited for your page to gather enough energy from her to send her home."

"Yet things didn't go exactly as planned?" guessed the fairy like girl with her brows furrowed, "How exactly?"

"Her time here was normal enough until I decided to let her go home," continued Dom, "You know, the page glows purple, portal comes out Goddess goes in. What I don't get was that I got sent back in time. Back on the very first day I met her. Not only that but a few things aren't what they seemed to be. Her friend, Anya, supposedly got adopted the day I sent her back. But when I called the head of my family's orphanage, they said that she already found a new family months ago. Tell me Histoire, how long has it been since Peashy disappeared?"

The tome immediately replied with, "She only disappeared this morning, it's already the afternoon here and everyone has been frantic. I even asked help to my other self in the future if she's that world, looks like the only logical place for her to end is your world."

"Afternoon? But I thought spending an entire week in my world would only be a few hours there," pointed out the boy in confusion.

"It doesn't work that way. Time between dimensions is random and there's never a set conversion of how much time will pass when you're in another world. However I did feel a disturbance between worlds just before lunch time, three hours after Peashy disappeared. So the set time right now would be each day would be one hour," explained Histoire. She then closed her eyes and opened them a moment later, giving him a blank gaze.

"Bah, that disturbance must be when I got sent back," groaned Dom while running his hand down his face, "Tell me, is there any reason why I got sent back? Or am I even in my normal world? Hey, you listening? Histoire! Fairy girl book thing? She froze?"

Shaking her head, the Tome responded in monotone, "Gathering necessary data, it will take no longer than… 'Three minutes'… Please wait warmly."

Dom's eyes narrowed as he pinched the tiny girl's cheek, "You made me wait three hours, I'm not gonna wait for three idiotic minutes for shit, so answer me!"

"Okay okay okay! Please mind your language!" cried the Tome while trying to get away. She rubbed her sore cheek, "I always wanted to do that. On the other hand, something may have happened during the transportation process that made the page malfunction. You see, the process of dimension hopping is very delicate and one wrong move could compromise the whole situation. Since the power used to send someone across reality is basically a Goddess or any higher beings power, should anything bad happen to the power source will affect the teleportation."

"And the effects vary from the thing that caused the disruption?" asked the boy.

A nod from the fairy like being was the reply followed by, "Indeed. Yet it all boils down to the source of energy, which is to say is Peashy. This may have happened during her crossing between realities where she may have done something that would send you back across time. She may have not been emotionally stable or has come across something in her mind that she hasn't, therefore subconsciously manipulating her Goddess powers and throwing you into an alternate timeline. Well, not necessarily alternate, but a carbon copy with a few different spices."

"Carbon… copy?" repeated Dom as if he was waiting for her to say otherwise, "Seriously?"

"Yes!" chirped Histoire quite cheerfully, "That is until the time loop is resolved and everything will go back to normal. Following the exact same events after you attempted to send Peashy back on your first try. In the world you are in now, the actions you do in the current loop will affect the next until by the 15th time you try again; it will be completely different from when you tried on your 2nd try."

"That explains Anya's adoption," muttered the boy as he breathed a sigh, "But in my original time, did Anya really get adopted?"

"Yes," confirmed the Tome in a soft tone, "Once you resolve this, your memories will remain intact. In fact, anyone involved in this incident will have their memories intact, meaning your best friend will remember this too. By the end of this problem, the actions you take and its consequences will merge with your original timeline."

"Then Anya will remember Peashy too," said Dom. He slapped his palm on his forehead, "Damn, I hate you people…."

"You'll get used to it," mused Histoire with a small smile.

"Shut up… That doesn't help me at all," grumbled the boy as he placed his hands behind his head, "All I got to do no is send her back. Simple. It's only the first day anyway…"

Shaking her head, the tiny fairy like being, then said, "In all of my years of recording the history of my world, I have 67980 recorded data of adventurers who have died due to tempting fate. I advise you to refrain from doing such a thing."

"Noted…" muttered Dom as he began to walk away, "I'll see you later. Call you if the world resets."

There was a flash of white and then he was gone. Histoire was left to think that it was a miracle for her to meet such a strange individual.

* * *

When Dom arrived at his best friend's house, he was suddenly greeted with a tackle. Having been caught off guard, this caused him to knocked to the ground while something heavy used his stomach as a trampoline. This wasn't one of his most pleasant experiences he has encountered, obviously. When the quakes on his stomach had gone and his mind has finally managed to pull through the gut wrenching experience, he finally identified the perpetrator as a child with blonde hair and yellow striped clothes.

"Gah, get off me!" growled Dom as he tried to pry Peashy off of him yet it seemed to be futile given the girl's surprising strength, "Dammit, I only disappear for a day and you're like this! What'd Dia made you eat?!"

"Dummy! Dummy let's play!" laughed the child as she clung on the boy's arms with enough strength to prevent her from falling, "Play! Play!"

It was supposed to be the day where Dom was supposed to send Peashy back home. At sunset, that would be the time where he sent her on her way on the first route. Just last night he formed a plan with Dia just for the sake of this very day and that's to test the waters by counter acting what the little Goddess felt in the first route with new feelings. It was obvious enough back then that she was saddened with a friend's departure so this time they'll test out what will happen by making her happy.

This plan involves with the usual measure the two did to Goddesses they encounter to ensure that they don't cause the apocalypse via reality warping explosions. Of course this runs the risk of a reset by the end of the day. So long as they keep the Goddess happy and live by tomorrow, they could try sending her home. Easy. As. Pi.

"We'll play later! Geez, where's Dia?" asked the boy as he placed his hands in his pockets, it helped that he had his head phones on to block out most of her voice. It could get irritating sometimes.

The little CPU hopped on her feet a bit while replying, "Auntie's coming! Just wait for her!"

"Aun…tie?" repeated Dom much to his confusion until he heard the door of his best friend's house open, "Speak of the devil, _auntie_."

"Don't make me punch your gut this early in the morning," growled Dia while wearing some rather girly clothes. She wore a white one piece dress with shoulder straps to hold it in place while wearing a white beret cap as she had her long hair tied in a ponytail.

Dom couldn't resist commenting on this, "With that attitude of yours, you'll never get a boyfriend. The best they could get would be a woman manlier than them."

"I don't want to hear that from you," the brunette snarled as her friend chuckled to himself.

"Really, now? We're taking our pet bomb for a walk, not go on frolic around," said the boy with a teasing grin, "You'll at least need something comfortable to run on."

"You're seriously asking me to crack your skull, is that what you're saying?" threatened Dia as she cracked her knuckles.

"It's a maybe," replied Dom in an annoying manner.

Before the two could even descend into a brawl just before they left, Peashy was quick to jump in and stop them from killing each other, "Auntie and uncle should stop fighting! You two stop or I'll get mad!"

The two friends exchange looks before releasing a sigh. It would be bad if the plan failed now before they could even kick start anything. This mission relied solely on keeping the little Goddess happy. And so, this is how Dom's day became more energetic than planned.

…..

….

…

Turns out it did. What with Peashy leading the way, the two friends found themselves in all sort of place. At the Goddess' insistence they spent an hour circling a zoo and saw all sorts of wildlife during their time there. Once or twice the little CPU had to be stopped by her companions from releasing all of the animals since she wanted to 'play' with them. An obviously bad idea as noted by Dom so they quickly left.

They then cooled themselves within a mall in which the child dragged them off to look at various stuffed toys on display at a toy shop. While Dia and Peashy were left wandering through the shop, the boy had a sudden idea and left for another store. When the two girls had finished their window shopping, they were surprised to see their other companion wait for them outside, a large stuffed Neptune doll dangling on his right. Without glancing at the little girl, he casually tossed it to her and quickly caught it.

"Wow! Thanks uncle!" Peashy laughed gratefully while hugging the doll close. It was the same doll which she was looking for during her first night. She would have never expected to get one all of a sudden. Dia on the other hand gave her friend a dubious look with a raised eye brow.

Noticing this, the boy then said, "What?"

"You're unexpectedly out of character," noted the brunette with an amused look. Her friend rarely bought anything aside from his games or personal belongings, much less as a gift for someone and out of the blue like that. Seeing this strange development was quite a novel.

Of course, Dom didn't find his best friend's comment amusing, "Look, this is just to keep her in check. She's a walking time bomb so it's a necessary sacrifice."

"Necessary, hm?" repeated Dia while having a thoughtful look on her face. The boy was then alarmed to see her face turn into an evil grin.

"What are you planning?" he asked cautiously. Nothing good came from Dia smiling like that. The last time she smiled like that was yesterday morning where most of his family's properties were trashed. He did not like that smile not even a bit.

"It's just strange seeing you like this," admitted the brunette with a smile, "Looks like being with these girls changed you."

Dom scratched the back of his head and turned his attention at the little Goddess. Had he changed that much in just a few weeks? True that he had been acting a bit off lately and he noticed it himself. He thought back to his previous Goddess encounters. It would be safe to say that this was all Neptune's fault for making him guilty and Nepgear's kidnapping only drove him to be a better person whenever it came to the Goddesses. But why? It was strange how he always had the feeling that he needed to help them. Was it because he and Dia were the only ones who would understand? The Dom two months ago wouldn't care for these kind of things.

So maybe he did change. But was this really what he wanted? He didn't know. Ever since he had come in terms with the sheer impossibility of these kind of beings lurking between dimensions, he had been more open minded about their existence. Maybe it was because no matter what he did, there was no way of getting rid of them? They sure have become a big influence on his life. He slowly wondered if this 'distortion' Histoire kept rambling about would ever be solved.

Meeting Neptune had changed things for him.

"Changed, huh? Yeah right," sighed the boy, placing his hands in his pockets, "Nothing will change me. That I can assure you. A few things just added up to myself, but I'm still the same person as I've always was."

Dia blinked twice before stifling a giggle, "Well… Maybe I'm just overthinking things. I'm just worried about your unrequited love for the Goddesses we send home."

With the look of someone who had just been punched in the gut, Dom shot his friend a glare while saying, "Like hell I'll love for annoyances! Why can't they just leave me alone?"

"Why can't you?" the brunette shot back with a knowing smile.

"As if I could…" muttered the boy while looking ahead. He then came to a halt and gritted his teeth, scratching his head as he did. Without saying anything to his friend, he walked on ahead here Peashy was. The little CPU was leaning way to close to the fountain and looked like she was ready to fall in. When she did, the boy got there in time and grabbed her shirt's collar before pulling her back. He then proceeded to give a lecture to the little girl while his best friend stayed back to watch.

Dia patiently waited for them to come back, when they did, it seemed to her that Dom was once again sporting an annoyed look. With a tilt of her head, this immediately caused her friend to responded to her unvoiced question while pushing Peashy to her.

"She needs to go," he said while placing a firm hand on the Goddess' head, her face bearing an uncomfortable look as she hugged her Neptune doll tight. This was followed by the boy elaborating with a single word, "Toilet."

"Ahhh," the brunette uttered a brief sigh before taking the little girl with a smile. To her friend she said, "You better stay put where the police could see you."

Annoyed, Dom lashed out in turn, "the hell?! You asking for a fight?!"

A few moments passed by and the two girls were already out of view. Scratching his head, he let out a sigh and went away to get some food. Those two were bound to be hungry by they get back.

…..

….

…

"Well? Come on let's hurry back. Dom's probably angry," Dia said while pulling Peashy along. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, the two took long to getting to the rest rooms since the one they were near at can't be used due to maintenance. Hence, the reason why the brunette needed to carry the child in her arms and sprint across the mall to the other side before the dam burst. Quite the feat too since she wore heeled sandals all that time.

She had to apologize to the guard for running through the building, though after listening to her story the guard decided to let her off with a warning. Nothing of note happened since then. The two were now walking back to where they left Dom though it seemed like it was going take a while since they were at the east wing of the mall while their companion was at the west wing second floor. It wouldn't have taken them that long yet due to Peashy's insistence they decided to take a detour to the candy shop.

The little goddess was munching on one jelly bean after another as they navigated through the mall. Dia began to wonder if this girl had any parents. She seemed a bit too young to be a Goddess and she heard once or twice from her best friend that someone could become a Goddess through accidents. If the same happened to Peashy, then she will never age, and would have to bear a great responsibility despite having the mindset of a child.

The girl wondered herself how Nepgear and Neptune managed their nations with the kind of thought process they had. Nepgear she could understand, but Neptune was a different story altogether. Then again, they were Goddesses and she was… herself. She just wondered what this girl's parents would think of their daughter being a divine being. Would they be happy? Sad? Angry? Would they be able to accept the fact that their daughter was going to be something much more in the future?

A sigh escaped her lips. If Dom were with her, then he'll simply say that it was somebody else's problem and that she should stop worrying about it.

That's when she noticed that Peashy was no longer at her side. Glancing behind her, she noticed the little Goddess standing still while gazing at a poster. Curious as to what the girl was looking at, Dia casually walked towards her and looked at what the little girl was staring at. It was a movie poster with the image of two adults holding either side of a swing with two children smiling brightly.

"I wonder where mommy and daddy are," muttered the little Goddess.

The brunette knelt at the child's side and gave her a smile, "Don't worry. I'm sure your mommy and daddy are okay. They're probably waiting for you to get home. Once uncle Dom fixes things, he'll be able to send you back home. Wouldn't that be great?"

"But… But if I go home, uncle and auntie will fight again," explained Peashy, staring at her own feet while avoiding eye contact, "They won't be together anymore and I won't like that. Please don't fight with uncle anymore. Please don't be a meanie. Back home, mommy and daddy never played with me. But it's okay because Neptuna and Ploot played with me. I still wanna play with my mommy and daddy."

"They probably miss you," said Dia wistfully while ruffling the little girl's head, "Don't worry, I'll look after you uncle for you… Just like always."

The little CPU giggled and ran ahead, looking back at the elder girl with a bright smile, "I like Auntie's pudding and I like Uncle's gifts. I like everything in this world. I wanna stay bit longer… Just a teeny tiny bit longer."

"No one's stopping you," muttered the elder girl, placing her hands behind back, "So have fun."

…..

….

…

"Oh? Mom and dad? Peashy doesn't have parents," stated Dom as he carried the Goddess in question behind his back.

Taken aback by this, Dia gave him the proper response, "What? You mean she's an orphan?"

"Yeah. Based on Victory though, she taken in by Planeptune's Basilicom during an incident about missing children," explained the boy as he grunted when he adjusted the sleeping child behind his back, "She's just like you if you think about it."

"Like me, huh?" repeated the girl as they walked through the streets.

The two were now heading home as dusk crawled in. After a long day spending time in the arcade, walking through a waterpark, and finally visiting the Maid Café at Akihabara for the first time in weeks, Peashy had finally decided to expend the last of her energy playing laser tag with Dom. Of course, she scored the higher score by using her tiny body and large energy reserve. Yet at the end of the game, the boy was barely on his feet while the little CPU finally collapsed.

Here they were now navigating through town. There wasn't that much people walking around since the rush hour has long since passed. The sky was painted red while the sun hid somewhere behind the tall glass buildings. Looking around at the various 'normal' every day individuals, Dom realized that they were all oblivious to the fact that they were in the midst of a ticking divine being. He silently wondered what would they do if they found of the existence of the impossible things he and his friend had encountered.

He thought back on his initial reaction during the first time Neptune displayed her power. It seemed like the world wasn't ready for the truth yet. At its current state, it'll only bring chaos. The purple idiot would probably disagree with him, saying that it'll probably make him popular. Heh, that sounded just like what she would say. This was the real world; it was cruel, unfair, and colorless. It was different from the world these Goddesses came from. All he could do was go along with the flow instead of stopping the entire dam from bursting.

Much to his surprised though when his best friend started the following conversation. Suddenly asking about the little Goddess' parents and being taken aback. He wondered how those two gaming companies managed to nail specific information on beings from other dimensions.

"Look, you're overthinking things again," said Dom in a nonchalant manner, "It's not your problem so there's no use worrying about it."

"Funny how that's exactly what I imagined you would say," giggled Dia. She then had a thoughtful look on her face as she continued, "Hey, how do you think these girls get to run their nations properly? A country must have millions of people living in it, there are a lot of things they have to take into account. It's amazing how they don't look like harried politicians we have here."

"Bunny ears lawyer," the boy mumbled under his breath.

"Bunny what?" asked the brunette in disbelief, an eye brow raised while giving her friend a weird look.

"Don't think about too much or you'll hurt yourself," sighed Dom with a helpless look.

"But you know," continued Dia while staring up above at the red sky, "Don't you think it'll be too much for Peashy once she handles her own nation? She's just a kid and I can tell that she hasn't been a Goddess that long. Do you think that she's going to be okay?"

"Dee?"

"Hm?"

"Peashy has friends. You really think that they'll just stand there and let a pipsqueak like this carry the weight of thousands, or going by what you said, even millions? Geez, you even using your brain? Of course not! If the time comes that this kid will learn how to handle things on her own, then that's because her friends helped her. Simple solution to every problem the fictional world has. The power of mother snapping friendship. Bah, that left a bad taste in my mouth. But you get the point. Besides, not like Peashy has a nation to run when she's one of Planeptune's CPUs. Have some faith on Neptune and Nepgear. They probably won't let anything bad happen."

"Probably?" repeated the girl with a teasing smile.

"I dunno," admitted the boy, "They're more capable than they look. Histoire's also with them."

"You're right…" replied the brunette before suddenly recalling something, "Ah, that's right. If Peashy was a CPU then she should be famous, right?"

"Yeah. Your point?" stated her friend in a very blunt manner.

Yet surprisingly enough she didn't get angry and continued, "Well, wouldn't her parents find her then? I mean she was taken in during the disappearance of children by the Basilicom, right? But now that the incident's passed would mean that her parents would be looking for her, right?"

"Well, someone did try. It only got her into trouble," answered Dom unenthusiastically. He still hasn't told her about that time Peashy got kidnapped by that weird mecha guy. Not that he had to tell her anyway.

"Really? What happened?" asked Dia with genuine curiosity.

_DAMN IT ALL! _The boy internally screamed while saying out loud_, "_Someone pretended to be Peashy's father and made her come with him via mind control et cetera."

"Oh… So it wasn't her real father then?"

"Nope. Just some creep Neptune and her friends beat the crap out. But judging from this Peashy's act, seems like some lingering traces of the brainwash is still there… Hey, Dee? You okay?"

The brunette jumped at the sound of her name, leaving her a sputtering mess, "W-Wha—? You sa-said anything?"

"You spaced out," Pointed out the boy with mild concern.

"Ah, sorry. It's just something cruel to do to an innocent girl. Tricking her like that," admitted Dia with a forced smile.

Dom stared at her for a few moments before finally playing his guess, "You're… thinking about your parents too?"

"I don't even know anymore," sighed the girl, "I grew up in your orphanage, remember? It's not like I had parents to begin with. I'll just see what in front of me and never look back."

A chuckle left her friend's mouth, causing her to blink in surprise. He then faced her while saying, "Well… It sucks to be you."

"You asking for a fight?" said the girl with a grin.

However their little banter came to an abrupt end just before it could begin as the little Goddess on the boy's back woke up while still half-asleep. A yawn escaping her lips she then said, "Auntie and uncle shouldn't fight…"

The two friends shared a confused look at each other before succumbing to a fit of snickering. Well, the day was almost at an end. The plan worked flawlessly without any problems, so after consulting Histoire a bit that evening, they may be able to send Peashy back home. Their problems would be solved and the time loop would revert back to normal. It would be smooth sailing from then on.

At least that was the plan.

"Hey what's that? Some kind accident?" asked Dom with a frown on his face. Just a few blocks ahead on them on an intersection, a gas truck had flipped over when it collided with a van. A lot of people have gathered at safe distance thanks to the help of the traffic enforcers, yet it didn't seem like help was going to come fast enough to put out the flames from the van. It really looked bad since the whole thing could blow up at any moment.

"Dom… Someone's inside the van," noted Dia as she narrowed her eyes. Of course she'll be able to see that far due to her archery training. But for someone to inside there in this kind of situation would be dangerous. Not to mention that the van could explode along with the gas tanker and kill anyone in there. The two turned their heads to a scream about Dia's observation. Looks like the people were catching up. However by the time the fire fighters arrive, the whole thing will blow to kingdom come.

Deciding that it'll be no good standing around there, the boy turned to walk away while saying, "Let's go. We'll find another path."

"No!"

His back suddenly grew lighter as the weight behind it disappeared. Turning around he found Peashy standing on the ground with her eyes on the wreckage ahead. The dangerous glint in her eyes could only bode something very bad.

"Hey what are you doing?" he asked her while keeping his guard up.

"Peashy? Are you okay?" Dia said with a worried look.

The little Goddess looked at them with a happy face, "I'm going to help them! I'm a Goddess and I have powers!"

_Shit, her eyes turned orange, _thought Dom before grabbing his best friend's hand and pulling her away, "Cover!"

And then there was light. Blinding yellow light exploded and caught everyone but them by surprise. There were a couple of screams from the other people from the crowd yet everything fell silent at once. The air hummed with energy as Peashy's transformation took place. While being enveloped in the light, it felt warm as if one were sitting next to a fire place during winter. The light grew brighter and brighter before slowly dying down.

In the child's place stood a young woman with pale golden hair and noticeable orange eyes. On her hands were menacing bracers with orange claws, giving it a razor sharp appearance along with a dangerous light. An aura of power surrounded her as she stood there, the pebbles around her feet shaking from the raw energy.

This the Goddess Yellow Heart in all of her glory.

Cursing under his breath, the boy struggled to get back on his feet while supporting the brunette beside him, "Damn it! Peashy whatever you're thinking now, you better not do it!"

"Why did she transform?!" yelled Dia over hum of energy around them. Being exposed to this amount of energy was enough to warp reality around them even by a tiny fraction. This obvious just by looking at the strained looks the people around them had.

"I have no idea!" Dom yelled back before he turned to Yellow Heart, "You! Stop this now! It's stupid!"

"It's not right. I have to help them! Otherwise Uncle and Auntie won't praise me," replied Yellow Heart with a smile. It looked more like a doll's smile, as it even real? This is not good. It didn't seem like she was about to end it there since she continued with, "I'll save them for you! Don't worry!"

"Peashy don't you dare—DAMMIT!" the boy could only watch as the Goddess dashed towards the place of the accident and set to work.

Landing at the side of the fallen car, Yellow Heart found out that the inside was already filled with pitch black smoke. Using her strength, she pried apart the stuck door like tinfoil, reaching inside for the trapped person. However when she cleared the door blocking her way, the smoke immediately found a way out using the opening she made, causing it to blast into her face and send her into a fit of coughing. There were people yelling at her to stay away from the wreckage yet she didn't care. She had to save this person.

There was a small explosion and the fire suddenly grew intense. The gasoline which spilled from the tanker created what looked like a wall of fire. She could hear sirens at the distance yet she still continued her work. A smile crept on her lips as she finally found her target. Reaching inside the van once more, she managed to pull out an unconscious man with glasses in a suit and laid him on the ground. She was about to take off when she heard someone cough from within the vehicle.

Someone was still inside. She cleared the smoke with her arms once more before reaching inside the van again. Without further ado, she grabbed the woman from within along with the unconscious man she saved. Carrying them both by herself, she managed get away before the tanker blew up. The force of the explosion rattled the earth while flames rocketed into the air.

"Phew…" Yellow Heart glanced at the explosion behind her before turning her attention in front of her. There was a crowd of people all gathered before her. They had this weird look on their eyes as they murmured to each other, a few of them had their phones flipped up as if they were taking a picture.

Peashy didn't understand it when five men dressed in blue burst from them with guns in their hands. Were they going to help her? That didn't seem like it since they looked kind of angry and had their weapons pointed at her. Were they enemies? It looked like it, but she had two people on her so she won't be able to fight.

"…hear us? You there! You're under arrest! Put the hostages down and surrender now!" yelled one of them the blue men with a large device in front of him.

Under arrest? Isn't that one of the words Neptuna yelled whenever she caught the bad guys? Then… if they were talking to Peashy, then would that make Peashy the bad guy? But she couldn't be. She saved these people. That was what Neptuna always told her to be. Histy always said it was not nice to hurt people and it was nice to help those who are hurt. So why was she the bad guy?

Large vehicles painted in red and white came on either side of her, driving through the paths on her left and right. She forgot that she was in the middle of an intersection so she was easily surrounded. The big red trucks drove past her and went to the flaming wreckage, their occupants setting o work on putting out the fire.

"Didn't you hear us?! Put them down!" yelled the blue man.

As if on cue, the two people she was carrying slowly woke up and realized where they were. They caught the Goddess by surprise as they squirmed in in her grip, causing her to accidentally let them go. With a grunt as they fell, they rubbed their sore body before looking up at the CPU. She didn't get why they suddenly looked at her with such frightened look. She wasn't even trying to be scary.

Was she… a bad girl?

"Peashy! Calm down! Just transform back and calm down!" roared Dom as he dashed out of the crowd, however the men in blue noticed him and immediately blocked his way, "Hey get out of the way! You want this city to be nuked?! Get the hell out of my way!"

"Peashy! Do what Dom told you!" yelled Dia as she struggled to get past the men in blue, "Calm down!"

She can't. She couldn't do it. Why were these people looking at her as if she was the villain. It wasn't right. It wasn't right...

"I'm scared…" muttered Yellow Heart, stepping away from the people, "I'm scared! **I'M SCARED!"**

At the sound of her voice, the stagnant energy in the air reacted. A great gust blew through the city and blew the people away as if they were made of sand. Dom caught sight of this and quickly grabbed his best friend's hand once more. The landscape faded away as the world around them was slowly deconstructed into building block like things, collapsing a moment before rebuilding themselves once more. Then came thousands of weird blurs passing the two friends. It looked like as if they were people going about their daily lives in fast forward… no… in rewind!

"What's happening?!" the brunette screamed over the deafening sound of the gust.

"This, my friend, is the universe conspiring against us…" grumbled Dom in a venomous manner, "Just don't let go until this all stops."

"Is this the time loop?" asked Dia while closing her eyes.

"No, this is just a dream," put in the boy sarcastically before yelling, "OF COURSE THIS IS THE TIME LOOP AND WE SCREWED UP!"

The light around them became too bright for them and they were forced to shut their eyes tightly. When they finally opened them, they were in the middle of a street filled with people. It was night time and there wasn't any sign of any commotion from the accident from before.

Dom let go of his friend's hand and looked around. This place was a familiar. On whim, he reached within his pocket and took out his phone. The same time and date as three days ago. So that must mean he was back where he started. He had failed and as he remembered Histoire's words, something was bound to change in this scenario.

"Let's go!" he called before running into the street.

"Hey, hold on! Wait for me!" replied Dia as she ran after him.

He navigated through the streets and crowds, pushing past people just to get to his destination. He had to find her there; he had to think of a new plan. Luck smiled upon him on his second try, so there was no knowing if the same thing will happen twice. The streets were becoming more familiar, so if he just turned a right here…

"Aw crap…" he muttered.

Breathing heavily, Dia arrived at his side and asked, "What's wrong?"

"She's not there…" answered the boy, his voice grim as he stared ahead.

"What do you mean?" the girl pushed on.

"She's not where I found her."

* * *

_Nicolas Notes:_

_Greetings and hello once again dear readers. I beg your pardon for such a late release of this update, however I have been distracted by other stories during this chapter's development. I simply found the plot for this arc simply grew a mind of its own._

_Well, not that it matters. Extensive research has been conducted to capture that little CPU's personality. However it has been difficult for me to nail it down. So for any inconsistencies and mistakes, i apologize for them._

_Also, thank you for your continued support. I'm still going to welcome any helpful tips for me to improve so long as they're polite and constructive. I'm still a newbie in this fandom and just a mediocre writer._

_The next release will probably take awhile since school's starting. But I'll do my best to finish it before school starts._

_So yes, that will be all. I'll await your responses to this chapter in the reviews section. If there's anything you would like to ask or say, or clarify, just PM me. _

_See you all next time. _

_Yahoo~_


	11. Chapter 11: The Peashful Conclusion

There was once two best friends with an unbreakable bond, just a couple of kids with very normal problems.

It's been over two hours since they began their search and Dom couldn't help but be pissed. To think that the CPU will change her location during the reset was unexpected, and not to mention annoying since he'll have no idea where she was. She couldn't have gone far if she walked away from the toy shop, so he may catch up to her if he looked through the area thoroughly. However there's the chance that she popped out in a completely different place. There's no telling where she was now.

He was worried, it was all because of luck did he manage to find her last time. Right now that he knew what was happening, the ignorance he had back then had disappeared. He saw what that girl was capable of, he can't let her transform again. There were people all around him walking and going about their lives yet there wasn't a single trace or sign of a small blonde kid. Sure she could handle herself well from anyone that might do anything bad, but someone had to look after her so she wouldn't go overboard.

His search came to an abrupt halt as he answered his ringing phone, "You found her yet?"

"_No not yet. I've looked everywhere for her but she just won't show,"_ replied a girl's voice from the other line. Judging from the heavy breathing, Dia seemed to be running around for a while too.

"Alright, we meet back at the toy shop after an hour," Dom told her before hanging up and stowing his phone away. He didn't even waste anytime standing around and went back on his search. He passed by stores, shops, restaurants and people yet he still hasn't found Peashy. He tried asking around yet it was no use, a child with blonde hair would stick out in a crowd like this. As expected, searching for her manually led him to nowhere. At this rate he'll have to resort to the tracking bubble.

The odds of him of finding her would be low without it. However like last time, he still had no idea if the people around him will notice it or not. So he kept on searching. Now that he thought of it, he might just dragged Dia into this time loop charade. Originally he was supposed to be the only one to solve this, so if she was with him this time, what could've happened to the Dia in this timeline. He came across an appliance store and something on the news caught his eye.

Unexplained damages near Akiba, fires and metal shrapnel left dozens of civilians injured. Right now he was in the Shinjuku prefecture, miles off Akiba yet during the reset he somehow wound up here along with Dia. The damages and the explosion that proceeded, did this have anything to do with Histoire's warnings? With every try he had, something was bound to change or add up in the following scenario. Was this a part of it too? If this goes on as it is, the riddle set up for him would get more and more complicated.

He had to think. Just how will he get Peashy to go home without causing her to throw a tantrum. He witnessed it firsthand that the power of a Goddess could break through time and space should she lose control of it, if she went off when his eyes weren't on her then who knows what would happen. This is why he found loud and energetic kids annoying, he was better suited taking care of the quiet ones. Yet it didn't seem like he had much of a choice here.

"Damn this is getting me nowhere," he complained. Looking at his watch, he had about ten minutes left before the agreed time he and Dia will meet back at the store. Maybe he could have a run through the area on his way back. He still didn't get how a pint sized living battery couldn't attract attention. With a sigh, he reached within his pocket and took out Histoire's page. A faint purple glow radiated from its surface yet it was barely noticeable in the bright lights of the surrounding establishments.

He unfolded it and allowed its blank appearance stare back at him, "Well this is new."

"Dom? Hey, butt monkey over here!" called out a voice, causing the boy to turn around. What he found was the person he least expected to meet that night, Nick wearing a mascot costume of a rabbit. What Dom found surprising was the fact that his best friend was leaning on the guy with a strained look on her face.

Stuffing the page away, he immediately went to the other boy's side, "Explain everything."

"Whoa, chill out first. I found her wandering around like she was looking for someone, good thing I caught her before she collapsed," replied the mascot boy while poking the brunette on the cheek, "Hey Dia! Your owner's here."

The girl frowned and opened her eyes while breathing heavily, "Oh… hey… you found her yet..?"

She didn't look too good and instantly faltered. Had not Nick been supporting her, she would've fallen to the ground. After adjusting her weight on his, he then said, "Okay, what's going on? First time I take on the night shift and I see pretty girls suddenly fall on the pavement."

"It's a long story," replied Dom as he took hold of his best friend from the other boy, "What about you? What are you doing here dressed like that?"

"I just told you didn't I? Night shift, working for a sweets shop. But man, the Iron Maiden ain't so tough now ain't she? Better get her home, she looks beat. Has she gotten any sleep?" asked Nick in a concerned tone.

The male protagonist shook his head while saying, "She's been taking care of guests for me. It must be eating away her sleep."

"Ah, well, girls need their beauty rests you know?" pointed out the mascot boy with a chuckle, "She's not like you Adrian, maybe you should lay off whatever you two are up to for now. It's no good pushing on something big when you know that you'll bring misfortune to those around you. You can continue your date at a later date."

Dom blinked his eyes twice before saying, "Getting real tired of your shit, Nick."

"I was joking," sniggered Nick yet he stared straight into the other boy's eyes with great intensity while retaining that smile of his, "A great guy once said, you're strong enough to be gentle. Maybe one day you'll meet him, maybe you won't. But all in all he's a great guy."

"Yeah," muttered the other boy as he supported his best friend, "Thanks for the advice."

"Well, I gotta go! Customers aren't gonna swarm my place themselves," said the mascot boy with a large grin, giving the two friends a salute before walking off in his weird costume.

Suddenly, Dia began to speak yet it seemed like she had trouble doing so, "Don't… listen... t-to him… We need… to find her…"

"You're not going anywhere. I'm getting you home so will you shut up already," said Dom as he began to walk into the direction of the brunette's home, "We'll be taking the train if you don't mind. Just don't throw up."

"Find… her now…haah, haah… We can't leave her alone," breathed the girl.

"No, you're just going to be baggage if I lug you around. You're getting some rest. You're heating up," replied the boy, "Besides, do I look like I'll let a night pass without finding out where that girl is? Or at least making sure she's safe? Geez, use your head for once."

"I'm… fine. I can still, ugh…." Those were her final words before passing out. Dom recounted her lack of sleep due to Peashy's presence, a tiring day keeping the CPUs spirits up, playing, working, and getting thrown into a time loop must be the causes in which reduced her into such a state. He wouldn't be able to work like this. But with his best friend dragged into this whole thing, he might as well bring her along the whole way. He just needed to give her a good night's sleep though.

A smile appeared on his lips as he muttered under his breath, "This is going to be a troublesome night."

* * *

Dom closed the door leading to Dia's room as he exited it. Releasing a sigh, he leaned on the wooden door and took out the paper in his pocket. Unfolding it, purple light shined on his face. It was still blank yet there was this eerie glow coming from it similar to the first time he got it. Maybe he should consult with Histoire about his plans on searching for Peashy. He can't let dawn come with the girl still out there. After all, he did promise that he'll contact her should there be a reset.

"Histoire, I'm going in," he muttered to the page. The light from the paper grew to blinding intensity until it enveloped his entire vision. There was a moment of weightlessness around him before he felt his feet touch the ground once more. The light disappeared and he was back in the white void with the floating cubes. He's been into this place a dozen of times already yet he still didn't get used to its surreal appearance. Without a second thought, he began his long walk to find Histoire.

He supposed that calling her out once again will work, yet he felt like he had to gather his thoughts for a while. It shouldn't take long for the Tome to be alerted of his presence in this realm, enough time for him to clear his mind. The Peashy he'll encounter back in his world wouldn't recognize him like the last time and now that Dia was out of the picture, it'll be real hard for him to get her trust. Not only that, he had no idea how to befriend her in the first place.

If it were another CPU, he would be able to drag them back to Dia's house with little trouble. At least then he would be able to reason with them. But that wasn't the case with Peashy. She'll sooner break down again and start a reset before he can knock some sense into here. At his point of view, his situation was pretty much hopeless. But with the knowledge that someone, somewhere, was purposely screwing with his life (at least what he thinks), he just had to wait out the storm in an attempt on not to make a fool out of himself.

Pfftt…

However it seemed like the storm was coming to him. Whether he liked it or not, it would eventually come down to him to send Peashy back. If her presence in the Real World was dangerous enough to warp time and space and create this loop wasn't bad enough, then the ire the other Goddesses will have for him will definitely be worst if the little CPU ran out of shares. Histoire may say it as if he can reset countless of times yet it seemed like she hasn't taken in account the reason why it was dangerous for Goddesses to stay in the Real World.

Like any other Goddess before her, Peashy was bound to die past a certain point in time.

Another reason why Dom should be thinking of things that will help him in making his job faster and easier to resolve. This puzzle may be a bit hard for him to complete. Maybe if he just went with it in a straight forward manner then he'll have the problem done by tomorrow.

"Huh?" turning his head to the side, he stared at a passing purple cube that got too close on him. For a moment there, he thought he saw a familiar face within it. His curiosity getting the better of him, he reached his hand out and grabbed as it floated farther from him. It seemed solid and soft, the kind of sensation one would feel when holding a balloon, only this time there was no rubber between the air and the skin. The purple cube in his hand was larger than his fist and there was a bit of transparency on it so he could see through it a bit.

Turning it in his hand, he watched as the familiar face that he saw was actually Anya's, the girl Peashy had befriended during her first stay. The boy didn't did understand how or why did the Core have this image, but something inside his head was screaming at him that this was supposed to be some kind of hint. Like he was supposed to remember something. That's where he began to wonder. Sure this was the first time he actually touched a cube from this realm, but why would this place have this image in the first place?

All he knew that he was at the very heart of Gamindustri, the place where fabric between dimensions was thin enough for dimensional travel was possible without the ability to do so. Could this girl be something relevant to his current situation? If so, then how would she be of help? It wasn't like she would remember Peashy nor will Peashy remember her. It just didn't make any sense.

That's when it clicked, "Or maybe it does?"

"Mister Adrian!" called a tiny voice from afar. Things just got better and better. From a distance, the boy was able to make out Histoire's tiny speeding figure as she urged herself to fly at her fastest speed.

He noticed the cube glowing for a moment before shattering in his hand along with the image. It broke, not like it mattered. He had his first clue, and as the Tome came to a halt before him, he was about get his second one, "Took you long enough. I swear, you need to get an upgrade. Your specs aren't probably cut out for this."

"I apologize for my tardiness and— Did you just mock my low specs?" Histoire's apologetic tone turned razor sharp at the last part. In an uncharacteristically threatening manner, her voice not only was steel cold but her eyes seemed to flash red for a moment, "Are you making fun of me?"

Dom blinked twice as he assessed the situation before him, giving the Tome a bright smile as he said, "What if I am?"

Histoire dropped the glare and let out a sigh, "(y*O*)y You were just teasing me weren't you?"

"How'd you… Wait, let me try that….. /\(0 v 0 \)" replied the boy before blinking once again in surprise, "Cool…"

"Will please stop that, only I have such privileges! ( #\_/# )" fumed the Tome in an adorably mad manner.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist, ( O_O! )" muttered Dom before coughing himself back to seriousness, "well? I hit a dead end last time and it's just as you said, things aren't the same as before. We've lost track of Peashy and Dia's not fit enough to go looking. I would go out there and search for her myself but I figured that I should ask you first about what you think."

"I-Is that so?" Histoire replied nervously, "Well, it just goes to show that theory of mine was correct; however it seems that there are complications about this time. Would you like me to explain?"

Nodding his head, the boy urged her to continue, "Sure, go ahead."

"Very well. As you may know now, changes have arisen in the world you were just in. These changes may be from the consequences of your actions on the previous scenario or influences that Peashy's energy exhausts. As explained last time, these changes may range from small to grand scale. But now it seems like these changes may hinder your search as well as mission to bring Peashy back. This is due to the fact that Peashy is no longer in your world," explained the Tome with a blank look in her eyes.

"What? What do you mean by that?" asked Dom, "If she's not in my world or in Gamindustri, then where is she?"

"In between," answered Histoire, "A part of her is stuck in your world while the other is in some unknown area. According to my calculations and research, this area could only be accessible should you encounter the part of her in your world. With this problem coming to play, it may prove even more difficult for you to track that other half of her down due to her decreased essence. The essence which I speak of is what the Goddess Bubble is capable of targeting, thus showing the location of the missing CPU. With the essence barely noticeable by the tracking device, it should complicate matters for you."

"Anything else?" prodded the boy as he crossed his arms, "Is there anything you can do to help? I can't do this without some miracle you know. I'm only human."

"Worry not, if you'll only give me my page for now," requested the book entity with a smile. Dom seemed confused at first yet took out the page in the end, handing it on the Tome's tiny hands. She then closed her eyes and let it go, only for the piece of paper to float in mid-air while glowing with purple light. The air hummed with energy for a moment before silence reigned once again. Releasing a tried breath, Histoire slapped a smile back on her face as she handed the boy her page.

"What did you do?" asked Dom as he examined the blank paper in his hand.

"Not much, I only increased the page's capabilities with my limited power," replied Histoire, "Now I'll be able to contact you via writings on it, and you don't have to come here and wait for hours for me to arrive. However if something really needs to be brought to my attention, it would be best to explain it personally here. I've also widened the range in which the page will detect the Goddesses. Of course, I won't be able to do this by myself so I had to ask Plutia if she could spare me a sharicite for this."

The boy cracked a smile and said, "Not that it'll help much, but thanks."

"You should be more careful," warned the fairy being, "Your Reality isn't the same as Gamindustri. High concentrated magic or energy is enough to break apart its very fabric. Your city may collapse since your world isn't accustomed to things that defy its laws. Everything will be up to you, are you sure you can do this?"

"It's not like there's anyone else who can," Dom turned around and began to walk away, "I got no choice, don't I? I'll see you around, and make sure you do something about your low specs."

"Really now?! ( -_- ) after all that help I gave you?!" complained the Tome.

The boy merely walked on as he waved his hand in the air, not looking back. His vision was eventually enveloped in purple light and everything disappeared for a moment. When the light disappeared, he found himself back at Dia's house, his back leaning on her bedroom door. He sighed as he glanced at the wall clock not too far from him. That ate away a few minutes of his time. He turned around and opened the door behind him by a bit, Dia seemed to be sound asleep within.

Closing it, he walked down the hall as he stretched his arms, "Alright time for work."

...

….

…

Walking out on the deserted streets, Dom checked his watch for the time. It was two in the morning and there was still no luck in finding Peashy. Looking back on his previous conversation with Histoire, the only way everything will be solved would be to find the missing CPU's half in this world and confronting the other in an unknown location. What would happen if he somehow completed those two requirements was unknown to him yet here he was still doing everything he can to accomplish them.

It pretty much sums up his entire situation. It was already five hours since he started his search in the residential areas, maybe he should start checking a couple more places before retiring for the night. This was also a good chance for him to gather more information that may help him later.

As he walked by a riverside, he rubbed his hands together to keep himself warm before taking out his phone. He began dialing the desired number while thinking that the place he'll be calling should still be up during these hours. As expected, someone picked up.

"Hello Sister, this is Adrian. Sorry for calling at such a late hour but I have a couple of questions to ask," he said as he kept on walking.

"_Adrian? What seems to be the matter? It's fairly late, you know? If you're calling at this time then it must be important. Are you okay?" _asked a woman's voice on the other side of the phone.

"Yeah, it's kind of important. Yes, I'm fine and please don't call dad about this. No, nothing's wrong. Look, is it okay if I ask?"

"_Oh ho ho, you already did. Go on, ask away."_

"Months ago, there was a girl named Anya that's been taken in by a couple. Can you give me the address for her house as well as contact details?"

"_Is... that so? I would give you the information right now, but if I may ask, why are you asking this all of a sudden?"_

"The world's going to end if I don't meet her."

It took a few moments before the Sister finally replied, "_Very well. Such a strange reason you have. No matter, I've sent the information on your phone. Please check your mail once this call's done. Is there anything else?"_

"Nothing. Thank you. Please keep this quiet from my parents," requested the boy with a chuckle.

He only heard a suppressed giggling on the other line before he hanged up. That was one problem down. It's time to set his plan into motion. He searched through his phone and entered his messages. As smile appeared on his lips as everything he needed was there. That left him with giving the area he was in one more round of searching before he finally went home. He took out the blank page from his pocket which began to glow with faint light once more. Two seconds passed and a purple circuit like circle appeared on the paper with an arrow in the middle.

The symbol pulsed with purple light for a few moments before the arrow on it glowed brightly and began to move. It looked like it was some kind of compass pointing to some unknown direction. What was surprising was that the picture was moving like one of those magical images Dom had seen in the movies. He watched as the arrow pointed to his left, back into the residential areas.

"This is so weird…" he muttered as he began walking towards the designated direction. His discomfort only increased as words began magically appearing at the side of the page in purple letters. This only caused the boy to utter a groan, "What now?"

_Welcome to the Help me, Histy tutorial section._

_In this section I will be able to answer all of your player woes and guide you through your mission._

_With the upgraded Page in your possession, it's widened capabilities will definitely prove convenient in future use._

_The new and improved Tracking Device may now enter Incognito Mode to prevent being seen by normal individuals. _

_Take note that while in this mode, the maximum 6 kilometers detection radius will be reduced to 2 kilometers to ensure power conservation._

_For higher performance rate, please activate the Bubble by speaking._

_Will that be all? Y/{__**N**__}_

The boy glared at the page before releasing a sigh. He should tell Histoire to warn him about things like these. If he were in a highly populated area the nit would cause him a lot of trouble if people saw a talking piece of paper. He merely followed the direction the page told him to go and hoped that it wouldn't blurt out random tutorial trips like earlier. He had already accepted the sheer impossibility that these things exist in a different dimension, but the ridiculousness of this one was just too much.

If only he could catch his breath and live normally for once then that's the only thing he'll need. The times he spent surfing the net, lazing about, studying just because he was bored. On that note, it's been a long while since he visited the forums. A smirk appeared on his lips as he thought about the people there. He always wondered what their reaction would be if he told them about what he's been going through right now. The guys at the web chat he had been frequenting already thought he was crazy.

It wasn't like he lost anything important anyway. Usually, he wouldn't be walking around in the middle of the night looking like an idiot for holding a piece of paper. With the crime rates around Tokyo, it wouldn't be a surprise if he got mugged and beaten up. Yet he felt calm, as if something assured him that everything will work out. He was sharp enough to notice this and brushed it off as an effect of the page, some kind of blessing that warded off bad omens.

He walked and walked and walked. He encountered no one on the dimly lit streets. Sure there was the occasional cat yet it was just that. He would pass by cars parked beside houses, filthy alleyways where teenagers living alone dumped their garbage, and maybe the rare refreshing scent of a flower garden. Checking his phone, he found out that he'd been walking for more than an hour on what he promised himself. Maybe it was time to cut his losses and head back.

"Huh?" Dom noticed something lying on the ground ahead of him. It seemed like the page had a strong reaction just by being the object judging by its shining arrow.

Approaching the object, the boy knelt down and retrieved it, turning it on his hand as he recognized it. It was Peashy's bear glove, the one she was supposed to be wearing in her right hand. Make sense that this would be the one she would lose since the other glove was with Anya. But why would this thing be here? Could this mean that Peashy should be somewhere near? Based on the dirt on the glove, he could guess that it's been here for a while now.

Peashy might be long gone.

* * *

It was supposed to be the second day of this scenario and the people he had encountered on the earlier one as he took the same path were all doing the same things. The handy man would be fixing the wirings of a lamp post, some girl would be running errands for her parents, and children would be playing tag at a park. The sun was bright in the sky with no visible clouds in the horizon. A peaceful day that has gone by three times already. Of course, he didn't have the intention of letting it stay that way.

Dom left Dia in her house to rest after much struggle which involved in knocking her out with her own bow. He tucked her in and cooked her breakfast which he left on her desk with a note attached. He also made sure to lock down all the windows and doors just to make sure she doesn't get out. On that note, he made sure to change phones for the occasion so she won't pester him to release her from the house. Alas, he didn't need any distractions at the moment for his plan to work out.

Today he was headed to Anya's new home. The address and contact information the Sister gave him was more than enough to get to her. However when he tried to call the residence, no one answered the phone. He found it strange but dismissed it for just a little while. It ate up an hour of his day just to get there, but seeing as he didn't own a bicycle or a scooter, he had to travel there by commuting and on foot. He soon came across an expensive looking two story home in the residential area.

Now that he thought of it, this place was a good spot to raise a kid in seeing as the playground wasn't that all far. Dom was stepped forward and read the household's name; he was at the right place alright. However as he pressed the doorbell for three consecutive times no one came out to answer. Now that he thought of it, it looked there wasn't anyone living in this house for a while now.

"Oh why hello there," greeted a voice behind him.

Glancing behind, the boy noticed an old man passing by wave at him. Maybe this was a good time to ask questions, "Uh, excuse me but where are the people living here? I've been ringing the doorbell for a few minutes now and no one would come out."

"Ah," the old man had a thoughtful look on his face as he rubbed his beard, "Well… you see the Tachibana family hasn't come home for the past three months now. They usually stop by to check on the house though…"

"What? Why?" asked Dom in sharp tone, walking towards the old man, "What happened here?"

"Well… you see. The news spread around the neighborhood right about fifteen days after the start February. The little girl they had had a little accident on a nearby slope," explained the old man in a grim manner. Apparently this topic wasn't that discussed in this neighborhood, "Bumped her head they said, lots of blood too. She's been asleep ever since. Pity too since she was sweet little girl though a bit queer, she always talked to an imaginary friend of hers. Nevertheless she was a good child."

Gritting his teeth, the following words came out of Dom's lips, "Where did they take her?"

...

….

…

He ran on, his breath becoming heavier and heavier with each step he took. This was just insane. The boy ran through street after street the moment he left the train. It just wasn't fair, all he wanted to do was talk to Anya a bit and leave, he'd never expected something like this would happen. He managed to find the hospital in which the girl had been taken to and was completely out of breath by the time he did. Wiping off the beads of sweat on his forehead, Dom composed himself before walking in the building.

Finding the room wasn't all that hard, he just needed to ask around and sign the visitor's list before he set off. He didn't like hospitals much since something about them just felt off. Then again, he wasn't here to contemplate how depressing the place looked like but to see how a girl he never paid much attention to was doing. Standing just outside of the Anya's room, he prepared himself with a brief breath before knocking on the door.

"Come in," called a voice from within. It was female, so he figured that it was the girl's adoptive mother.

Opening the door, he poked his head inside and said, "Excuse me."

"Hello there. It's been a while now, how are you?" greeted Mrs. Tachibana with a smile. She stood up from her chair just beside the hospital bed just to shake the boy's hand.

_Looks like she knows me,_ thought Dom as he returned the greeting, "I'm fine. I've only heard recently, sorry if I haven't come sooner…"

"Oh, please. There's need to dwell in it much. No one wanted this. Though I am glad that someone from the orphanage paid a visit," said the woman as she sat back down. She gave her daughter a sad smile as she stroked the sleeping girl's black hair, "We've been very busy. We apologize for not notifying the orphanage of Anya's condition."

The girl in question was right there in front of him, lying in a hospital bed with a peaceful look on her face. An oxygen mask covered her nose and mouth, her steady breaths synchronizing with the machine at her side. From the boy's perspective, she looked like she was simply taking a quick nap, completely unaware of her long sleep. He silently wondered how Peashy would feel seeing her first friend like this. He just hoped that by the time he fixed this crap, everything will go back to the way it's supposed to.

"Ah, right… There's that thing to worry about," muttered the boy as he crossed his arms, "You're worried that we'll take your guardianship on this girl and hand her to a Social Welfare agency because of what happened? Doesn't look like that two months have passed since you signed the papers."

"Then did you come to report us?" asked the woman in a defeated manner.

"That's not what I'm here for," replied Dom in a blunt tone, "I came to see if she was okay. If there's anyone who'll do what you think I'll do, that would be the Sister. I'm just a normal guy here."

"I see…" the woman sighed in relief as she stroked Anya's hair, "Thank you. We never wanted this to happen. Since she came to our lives, we've treated her like a princess. She's our most precious right now, so thank you for not taking her away."

Crossing his arms, the boy replied, "Whatever. You don't seem to a bad person and I don't see any reason why I should do something stupid. But tell me something, has this girl been enjoying those weeks she spent with you?"

"Yes," answered the lady, "However memories of her days in the orphanage are still there. She won't even let go of her imaginary friend. I suppose she's at that age."

"This friend of hers, did she say its name?" asked Dom, curiosity evident in his eyes.

This caused the woman to ponder for a moment while recalling the memory, "Well, now that I think of it, yes. She says it was a Goddess. That Goddess would tell her the most amazing stories about another world that seemed like it came out of a fairytale. Anya liked talking about her friend and of that world. You should've seen how bright her smile was whenever my husband and I would talk to her. It must be a made up place she and her old friends made, don't you think?"

_So she still remembers…_ thought the boy as he said out loud, "That girl didn't have much friends even then. She was always alone, but that didn't stop her from trying out new things. She may be bullied a few times because of her past, maybe maltreated by other people just because of something she didn't do, but that really didn't make her cry She's a strong girl, no wonder she'll have a good friend pop out of her imagination."

"Ah, her past… In those two months, I don't think my husband and I did enough to make her smile as bright whenever she talked about that imaginary friend," whispered the woman, she gazed into Dom's eyes with her piercing gaze, "The world's a scary place to a poor child like her, I keep wondering what makes her move forward. Is it friends that don't exist that give her strength?" A warm smile appeared on her lips as she continued, "Or maybe it's the memories of her sunnier days?"

_Then… Anya could remember Peashy despite the time loops. The memory of their time together was imprinted into Anya's subconscious despite these loops? Despite the fact that in these loops it was established that Anya was adopted three months prior to the original date they were supposed to meet?_ Dom thought about it with a little bit more enthusiasm this time, _But that's… not possible. Unless Anya was with me during the reset like Dia was, then there's no way she'll keep her memories of the first try… unless._

"Consequences," he muttered to himself, causing Mrs. Tachibana to tilt her head in confusion.

"Is something wrong?" she asked in a concerned tone.

Shaking his head, Dom apologized, "Not it's nothing. Um, can I ask a question?"

"Very well, what is it?" replied the woman.

"Does… Anya have a weird glove with her? It kinda looks like a paw or something," asked the boy, he hands clenched as he silently prayed.

Much to his surprise, his prayers were answered as the woman said, "Oh, yes. She always kept it with her wherever she went. I think I have it right here."

He watched as Anya's adoptive mother rummage through a yellow bag and took out a single old looking glove. It lost some of its color due to age and seemed to have a few holes on it. Seeing that it was being offered to him, he reluctantly took it and examined it in his hand. He unconsciously reached inside his pocket and took out the glove he found last night. They were identical; it was obvious enough to know that they both belonged to Peashy.

The woman before had a surprised look on her face as she saw the glove's other pair yet she didn't say anything. Finally, Dom asked once more, "You wouldn't mind if I borrowed this, right?"

"Take it," said Mrs. Tachibana with a serene smile, "I have this feeling that it's important. Thank you for visiting."

The boy have her a respectful nod before turning his eyes to stare at Anya for a few moments. He then turned around and opened the door, only to stop before he went out, "I guess I won't have to worry then."

"Is something wrong?" asked the woman behind him.

"Once this is all over, I'm relieved that Anya nabbed herself some kind parents," replied Dom cryptically before closing the door behind him.

Mrs. Tachibana was left inside the ward alone with her daughter, the sound of the air-conditioner filling the room.

* * *

It was nearly sunset when the last train came and went. The light from the sky bathed the city in blood red as evening settled in. Students were noisily chatting to themselves while the others ran off to their part time jobs. The white collar workers were either driving their way home after long day's work in the office. Seeing families head towards the amusement park or maybe the mall would be a rare sight once in a while. Despite all that, Dom's spirits weren't exactly high. This world sure was peaceful.

He felt horrible; his legs seemed to have minds of their own as they took him to the most random places. He'd walk unknowingly through a park, across a street, and through a building as he tried to recollect his thoughts. After his brief visit to the hospital, he merely kept the two gloves in his pockets, the heavy weight of Anya's unconscious form wearing him down. No, he can't let this get to him. This only proved on of his guesses to be correct.

If Anya was capable of remembering her memories, or at least vague ones buried within her subconscious, as her alternate self in this sequence got thrown around then there would be the chance of Peashy remembering the past events too. Since she was the source of this whole mess, probability of her memories being intact would be around ninety, this was based on how comfortable she was with Dom despite only meeting him once and overcoming her desire to rip his head off after being disciplined by Dia.

Still, he was making progress.

Now that he had confirmed a few things, all that was left to him to do was to find Peashy's other half and confront her in some 'godforsaken-dimension-which-Histoire-is-more-than -happy-to-throw-him-in' place. Which was basically what he was doing the whole day since he left the hospital, looking at him now it was obvious things didn't work out too well. He searched and searched and searched yet it was fruitless. He tried using the page's maximum output yet there was still no sign of the little CPU anywhere.

Dia already called him four times and was now ready to blow a hole in her own wall just to kill him. His feet eventually led him to his own apartment. This didn't seem to be a good time to go home and rest, he was under time limit here, he needed to keep looking. A few minutes later he found himself at a park. There wasn't anyone around so he kept on walking; he had a bad experience with this place. The surroundings was relatively peaceful, a few vehicles passed by as he went through the place and walked on the stone path.

That's when his heart skipped a beat as a couple of things happened at once.

The page on his pocket began to glow all of a sudden and exhausts a bit of power, causing the air around the boy to hum. Second is that the person he was looking for was munching on a takoyaki sold by another familiar face. It was her; the CPU was standing just a few meters away from him. Manning the stand she was eating at was Nick, whom was completely oblivious to the identity of the kid he was happily serving.

He fished his phone out of his other pocket without taking his eyes off the blonde little girl, going through his contacts and pressing the 'call' button. A few moments passed and he saw the stand owner get his own phone before answering it, Dom began to speak then, "Uh, dude?"

"Yo~! What's up, man? Anything I could do for ya?" greeted Nick in a carefree manner in contrast to the other boy's anxious tone.

"Whatever you do, don't let that kid get away…" muttered Dom as he slowly approached the stand.

"Eh? How'd you know there was a kid…" the stand owner's voice trailed off before turning his head towards his friend's direction. A bad move since the action didn't go unnoticed to the little girl, causing her to take a look on what he was looking at.

And then on that one, gut wrenchingly long second, Peashy and Dom's eyes made contact. The boy knew what would follow after that. The little girl jumped and ran off at full speed.

"Shit!" cursed the boy as he broke into a run. It didn't take him long to pass by Nick's cart and yell, "YOU DIDN'T LISTEN!"

This left the stand owner in a very confused state as he wondered what in the world just happened. Not that this was relevant anyway. Dom pursued the CPU with all he had into the residential areas once the two of them cleared three streets filled with people. It didn't look like anyone else could see her since she was so darned fast; it was a miracle she wasn't ramming into someone unlike the boy chasing her. He had to apologize after a successfully taking down a shopper by accident.

He didn't know why she suddenly ran from him like he was some kind of serial killer from a slasher movie, but the universe sure was with and against him. Nevertheless, this may be his only chance to get her. It was strange though; Peashy wouldn't usually run from danger but face them head on with a big boast. Seeing her flee like this was unnatural. When Histoire said about her halves being in separate places, did that mean that her personality got split? Did she lose her courage or something?

Thinking would have to come later as he had to side step a business man and run around a crowd. He hated rush hours with extreme prejudice now. Students walking home gave him bewildered looks as he looked like as if he was chasing a robber, not like it mattered anyway. He merely wondered where this child was headed to or maybe she was just intent on losing him without thinking of a destination. He had to get to her; he had to make her remember. She was his only path to getting to her other half.

It was frustrating how everything he needed was right there in front of him, yet that thing was too far for him to reach. He hated it, he just wanted this stupid mission to end. Just what did it needed to take for all of this to end. His frustration seemed to only fuel his legs' speed as he ran, chasing that bright yellow girl a few meters away from him.

"Wait!" he called out, "Just wait for me for a minute, dammit! Peashy! Stop!"

Of course she didn't listen and merely ran on. Well that didn't work; it looked like he'll have to wear her down. He noted the fact that he wasn't really that much into running for a long period of time, but he had to endure this. There was no Dia around to help him this time, just him and his page. Following Peashy on a sharp turn, he suddenly found himself between two paths, one leading to the left deeper into the residential areas while the right led to the riverside.

More puzzles, joy…

The glow from his pocket alerted him of its presence. That's when he remembered and took it out. Once he unfolded it, the arrow in the middle of the page glowed bright purple and turned to the east. Not wasting any time, Dom quickly ran again. He wasn't about to let her escape, not now when he finally found her after countless of hours wasting his time in Tokyo. Once he gives her a good lecture, he'll get down to business, there was no guarantee he'll keep himself from smacking her head.

Fifteen minutes had passed before he finally found her again.

He caught sight of her running through a familiar path he usually took. This road led towards his old school, Saigyozi High. Memories of his last visit here flooded his mind, forcing him to shake his head to bring himself back to reality. Peashy somehow stumbled and fell ahead of him, only to rise back up and continue running. As she neared by the locked gates of the deserted school, she used what strength she had hidden within her to kick off the ground and jump over the six foot tall iron gate.

Dom could only watch her from behind the gate as she didn't miss a beat and ran on. Cursing under his breath, he opted for another path. He may lose sight of her now but once he finds a way in, he'll just track her down with the page. Making his mad dash towards the far side of the school, he managed to spot a pickup truck parked just beside its wall. Climbing over the vehicle, he managed to jump over the wall and land within the school's premises, much to his feet's protests.

Grabbing the page from his pocket, its arrow quickly pointed to his Northeast as it edged further and further to the right. He limped a bit from his little stunt yet regained his ability to run after a few seconds. It seemed like Peashy went in the burned down east wing where Dom and Dia were last time to save Nepgear. Why did these deities love passing by his old classroom? Good thing there was still daylight since based on past experience, the place was pure nightmare fuel during the night.

"This is gonna suck…" he muttered as he walked right in.

Of course, seeing as this part of the school was closed off for unknown reasons, there wasn't anyone inside. The only person that should be around would be the night guard that watches the place. It's already been weeks yet the principal hasn't done anything to fix the place… typical. His footsteps echoing across the lobby, he turned his attention at the page which was stuck quivering to his left. Since the place was indeed deserted, the sound of footsteps on the upper levels could be easily heard from the ground floor.

Just as he was about to approach the stairs, the ceiling behind him collapsed, missing him by a hair's breadth.

"Okay…." Breathed the boy as he turned around. He took that as a cue and climbed as fast as he can. Running through a hall, he could see the sun descending in the horizon, slowly but surely until evening finally came. The sky was dim as the last few rays of the day ceased to exist.

As he advanced through the floor, the surroundings became more and more damaged from the past fire. Dom came across a yellow caution sign carelessly cast aside. He glanced at the page once more and found that the arrow was glowing brighter and brighter, meaning he was close. That's when he saw the words that wrote themselves on the page.

_Adrian! Hold on to something!_

Before Dom could even question the command, an earthquake rocked the entire school. This forced the boy to grasp at a window for support, eventually catching the sight of what seemed to be a yellow field of power spreading outwards and disappearing. He didn't know what that was, but he did know where it came from judging from the bright light on the school grounds.

"What… the hell?" grunted Dom as he struggled to stand up as the world around him shook. On his pocket, he could feel his phone ringing so he immediately answered just to shut it up, "Hello, Dom speaking. This better be good because I'm in a bad situation right now."

"_Where the hell are you, you bastard?!" _roared a girl's voice from the other line. Seemed like Dia cracked his number by using someone else's phone. Despite being impressed at her effort, this was no time for that for there were more pressing matters at hand.

"School," he responded in a casual manner.

"_Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"_ continued Dia over the line, forcing the boy to hold his phone away from his ear, "_Look here buster. But something's happening. A TV chopper's headed to where you are now since there are these 'weird yellow lights' coming from the roof. I can already guess who's causing that, but you need to be careful!"_

"Roof, got it. See ya!" said Dom as he hanged up. He sighed as he turned his attention to the page on his other hand and spoke to it, "Alright what's happening?"

_Share Deprivation symptoms! You need to get to where Peashy is. The lack of shares which is slowly chipping away her body is affecting her mentally._

_From within the Core of Celestia, the shockwaves from her raw power could be easily felt. Please, with every shockwave she releases the more power she exhausts._

_This could ultimately lead her to losing more shares and disappear._

"I'm already on it, aren't I?" growled the boy, the tremor finally disappearing, "Just sit back and relax. This'll be over before you know it. Just give me time."

_Please be careful! _

Taking a step forward, the floor beneath him suddenly collapsed. He would've fallen back down the first floor had he not held on the hole's edge. Now the universe was just out to kill him, wonderful. Using what remained of his upper body strength, he managed to crawl his way out of the hole and back to safety but not without a few splinters and a lost shoe. Brushing himself up, he advanced forward just as another earthquake shook the entire building. Looking outside, there was the field of light going outwards once more.

He moved aside as a piece of the ceiling fell in front of him and forced him to stop, earning a growl from the boy, "Don't… mess with… me."

…..

….

…

A boy burst through the rooftop's door and struggled to take in air. Looking up, the first thing he saw was the sky, millions and millions of stars looking back at him, watching his progress similar to spectators. Before him, standing a few feet away was a girl wrapped in golden light. She looked at him with frightened eyes akin to that of a child who's waiting to be scolded. Of course the boy had no such intention. What he wanted to do was to assure her that everything was going to be alright, but it seemed impossible right now.

He didn't know how he could reach her. Just what prompted her to break down? Why create all of this mess? He would never understand the way her mind worked despite knowing her in-game character. That was a different Peashy altogether. The Peashy that he interacted and lived with through these sequences was different, unique, the same goes for the past Goddesses. They were all real, they were more than numbers and drawings, they were real people. He needed to try, to put everything in the gamble that'll spark this girl's memory. Maybe then she won't decide to kill him for chasing her.

"I'm going to hurt you," he called out, reaching out with his right hand, "I just want to talk. Please calm down."

The little CPU only shook her head vigorously, "N-No! Mommy and daddy said never to talk to strangers! You're mean! Go away!"

Her form only shined brighter as the school shook once more. Dom eventually lost balance and fell on his right knee as he watched the yellow field grow once more. Peashy's body became so bright that he could barely see her anymore. Everything felt hot, the floor, the air, even his insides felt like they were turning into fire. The strangest thing was that it didn't hurt, it just felt warm.

"Aw, damn it…" was all the boy could say as the world around him changed.

The scenery was completely different from where he was before, the only conclusion he'll get was that he was transported to another plane of existence. He made contact with the half of Peashy in his world; all he had to do was knock some bolts inside the one in this place so that she'll return to Gamindustri. The floor in which he stood seemed to be a pure white platform, devoid of any structure on its surface while its color contrasted with the dark abyss which surrounded it.

Accompanying the darkness were streams of lights, appearing as if they were passing by at high speeds creating ghost tails. Red, blue, yellow, and purple the sight was dizzying if one would look at them for a long period of time.

Just up ahead was his target hovering in mid-air while being protected by an orb of power encasing her within was Yellow Heart, looking no different from what she appeared in the second sequence. She looked like she was waiting for him to arrive, as if he was about engage in some kind of boss fight in an RPG. But then again, this was no game, at least not to him.

"Hi~" greeted the CPU, followed by an energy ball popping into existence and exploding somewhere behind the human boy.

The strange greeting caused him to swallow hard the lump on his throat, _I'm gonna die! I'm gonna seriously die! Shit, shit, shit, shit! What do I do?! I can't move my legs! I can't fucking move! Shit! I need to calm down, I need to calm down, I need to calm down! WHY DOES THIS CRAP ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME?! N-No! calm down… Calm down… Think, I gotta make my move. Right, I gotta use my head… Right… right... right…_

"Hello to you too," replied Dom with one of the warmest smile he could muster. It took half of his willpower to prevent any sign of fear while the other half was busy preparing to take action if things got messy. The remaining fraction was the one leading his words. Forcing a step forward, he then continued, "Don't you think it's about time for you to go home?"

"Who are you? What are you talking about, mister?" asked the Goddess in an innocent tone. Right on cue, another energy ball came to and landed just in front of the human before he could even react. Due to the massive force it was made from, it was no surprise for him to be sent flying. Seeing the strange person fall on the floor, the CPU then proceeded to question him further, "Are you okay? I think you're hurt."

Dom didn't respond right away as he slowly got back to his feet. She didn't know him so she might as well see him as a threat, however if she did she would've aimed at him better and killed him. Something was keeping her from killing him entirely. Her memories were buried; he just needed the proper catalyst and timing to coax them out. He had to endure…

"I'm fine. Nothing wrong here… Look, my name's Dummy. You used to call me that, remember?" unfortunately, he managed to receive an energy ball to his left along with the reply.

"Sorry, mommy and daddy told me never to talk to strangers. I can't remember," said Yellow Heart with a smile on her face, "Are you a bad guy? You look like a bad guy…. Should I make you go away?"

"I had enough of your damn games so listen to me you damned brat!" roared Dom as an orb came flying straight at him.

_**BOOM**_

Smoke and dust filled the air for a moment, obscuring the area where the human once stood. A few moments passed and a silhouette could be seen waving the dust clouds off. He looked up at the Goddess and growled, "You've been a very bad girl, Peashy… You're pissing me off… Oh, and you missed by the way."

The CPU actually looked surprised at this and somehow moved back by an inch. She was sure she was going to hit him, seeing him alive and intact was quite a feat. She slowly began to be curious on this person's identity.

_Did she miss on purpose? I gotta think… What to say next… Damn, I got her attention now so think up of something to say! _Yelled the boy internally, out loud he said, "If you don't stop what you're doing, a lot of people are going to be hurt. A lot of people will be mad at you; you wouldn't want that, right?"

"Mad… at me..?" repeated Yellow Heart with a frown on her face. It seemed like she was deep in thought, those words struck something within her that she couldn't explain….. And then she remembered.

"Crap, wrong memory," grumbled Dom as the Goddess clutched the sides of her head and wailed.

All hell broke loose.

A massive ring of force spread outward, blowing the human off his feet and sending him tumbling through the floor. The wind picked up and the dust and debris from the craters around began to circle the CPU at high speeds. Cracks began to appear on the wide platform and slowly chipped away. The streams of lights around moved at a faster and much more dizzying pace. The air roared with energy dense enough to make the hair at the back of the boy's neck stand on end.

"Can this get any worst!?" he yelled over the wind and the universe was more than happy to answer. Random objects that came from god-knows-where began to fall from the sky, imbedding themselves on the platform and forming craters while shrapnel flew. There were trucks, cranes, chairs and trees, all were which were falling into random places. Thankfully they all didn't hit the male protagonist whom kept his head on the ground till it stopped raining junk.

_Fuck, this is just great… I just needed to screw up big time, _thought Dom as he stood up on his unsteady feet, apparently too afraid to even move, _How did Neptune do this again? Well, I don't have the brute strength or endurance to face this girl in open combat. Doing so will be suicide, but other than that, what the hell can I do? I'm not about to die here… If Peashy realizes that then goodbye Reality… or at least Tokyo… She doesn't have the guts to kill me so I should be fine…_

His gaze was fixed upon the kneeling form of Yellow heart who seemed to be reliving the result of the past sequence.

_I need to help here. I'm not going to let her cry_

"Hey! Look at me!" he called only for it to go unheard. It only prompted him to raise his voice at her, "I SAID LOOK AT ME, DAMMIT!"

That caught yellow Heart's attention, causing her to turn her head to his direction, "I-i-I'm scared… Those scary people. M-Make them go away!"

"SHUT UP!" snapped Dom in which the Goddess immediately did. That didn't stop him from shouting some more, "I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE HELL YOUR PROBLEM IS, BUT I CAN HELP YOU! I CAN HELP YOU MAKE THEM GO AWAY! IF YOU JUST FUCKING LET ME! SO SNAP OUT OF THAT CRAP YOU'RE IN AND CALM DOWN, YOU SELFISH VIOLENT BRAT!"

"W-Waahh! S-Scary! I'm scared! Mommy! Daddy! Neptuna! Ploot!" sobbed the CPU as the wind around her became thicker and thicker, slowly adopting the appearance of a tornado, "Help me…"

"Damn it!" the boy stood up on both of his feet and moved quickly to the left, avoiding a white van from crashing into him. He had to get close, it was now or never. Heading into that tornado thing around Peashy would be crazy. Only an insane person would do it. But it was the only thing that stood between him and that little girl.

_I'm a lunatic…_ were his last thoughts before he braved the treacherous tornado.

…..

….

…

Peashy sat alone within her protective barrier. She was terrified… She thought that it was all just a dream but it wasn't She could remember how those people looked at her. It was so scary that she wanted to forget everything about it. But at the same time, she'll completely forget about those three people. She didn't want to forget them too; she didn't know what to do now. CPUs were supposed to be strong; she'll probably get scolded by Neptuna for being a big crybaby.

She wanted Ploot to hug her. Every time Ploot would hug her, she would always calm down. Problem was that her friend wasn't anywhere near her. She was all alone with no one to comfort her. All alone within the storming winds of death. That person… that person outside… she knew him. She knew who he was but she couldn't remember. It was scary; it was just like that time when she couldn't remember her friends. She didn't want that to happen. That person was mad at her yet she didn't know why. She didn't do anything wrong! He even called her a bad girl. Just… who was he..?

Footsteps brought her back to reality and made her open her tear filled eyes. It was him; it was the boy from the outside. He looked hurt, his clothes were torn in places while his legs looked like they were about to give in. On his right hand were two strange looking pieces of cloth clenched within his palm.

"Five… item… set… to stir up your… memories…" he grunted before collapsing on his knees, "Well… Not really… five… but two… Fun items… Ugh…"

Yellow Heart watched as he fell face first, prompting her to ready herself in catching him. However the boy managed to catch himself at the last minute, moving away the CPU's outstretched hand. He knelt once more and stuffed the cloths into her hand.

"Two gloves…" he said with a smile, reaching behind the girl's ear and taking out an item, "And a hairclip… Now that's magic."

"Ma..gic…" the Goddess repeated, unaware of the wet liquid trickling down her cheek. She remembered… about magic…

_(S-S-She's a magician. M-mommy can do magic)_

_(Magic? I like magic!_ _Can you do magic too? That would be so cool!)_

_(N-Not really magic…M-Magic tricks… Mommy really likes them… I like them too.)_

"A-Anya?' she muttered, fixing her gaze at her gloves and at the red hair clip. Her tears fell in fat globes down the floor, her lips trembled as she recalled, "I-I forgot… Anya…"

She turned her eyes on the boy before her whom was watching her all this time. In a quivering voice she then said, "U-Uncle..?"

"Well… More or less I guess…" replied the boy with a shrug, "Do you remember now? Do you know how much trouble you've caused me?"

Despite his sharp words and evident irritation, it didn't stop the fully transformed HDD Goddess from wrapping her arms around him and give him a bone crushing hug. He was about to pry her off but soon realized that he didn't have the strength to do so. He just allowed the girl to wail and sob on his chest until she calmed down. She really was just a kid deep down.

"'I shall use the fallen angel's wings to whip up the winds of wicked warfare'," muttered Dom, patting the CPU on the head, "Cool ain't it? I know a cool CPU that made that. Her name's Yellow Heart and a cool CPU like her doesn't cry this easily…"

Yellow Heart moved away and rubbed her eyes while sniffling. The roaring wind around them vanished at a blink of an eye and the platform in which they stood was no repaired like nothing happened.

"Feeling better now?" asked the boy with one of his warm smiles.

Nodding at his words, the CPU returned his smile with her own, "Thank you… uncle…"

"Yeah well, don't mention it. Someone had to do it," standing up Dom brushed his clothes and offered his hand to the girl, "We going home or what?"

The Goddess blinked twice before lowering her head. She went quiet for five seconds which caused a frown to appear on the male protagonist's face. Finally she raised her head and spoke, "Uncle said I was a bad girl… is uncle still mad at me? Uncle was very angry earlier… My head hurts… I don't know why… Are you still angry?"

"Yeah, I am…" the boy responded honestly. Yellow Heart looked like she was about to cry again yet Dom managed to add up with, "But I forgive you already. So it's okay, stop crying anymore or else Neptune will have my hide… Good? Right, so tell me something, what made you start this entire mess? No, I won't get mad so just tell me the truth…."

"Umm…. Ummm….." the CPU didn't seem comfortable discussing this yet she answered anyway, "It was… an accident…"

"An accident?" Dom repeated with disbelief evident on his face.

"I really liked this place… Anya's home, the orphanage, everyone there… They were so nice," admitted Yellow heart in a sad tone, "But… but I couldn't leave Anya. I wanted to show her my home. I wanted her to meet Neptuna and Ploot. I didn't wanna go yet… I was scared; I wanted to go back… But… But… But when I came back, I didn't remember anything… I was there, looking at the glass and then uncle came! I chased you because you were mean but auntie beat you up good and wanted to become friends… You were both nice to me, anyone else is a meanie. Bad meanies that look at me weird, I didn't like them. Even when I saved them, they were scared of me… Why were they scared of me? I don't get it… My head hurts…."

Crossing his arms, the boy released a sigh from his lips while saying, "You did nothing wrong. They were probably scared just because they got roughed up a bit. Your… Auntie would always say this whenever something weird happens 'Don't think about it too much or you'll hurt yourself'. You're still too young to understand things like this, so do me a favor please? I want you to live out your life happily. Until the day you mature and grow some back bone, I want you to be the same energetic little brat that I've grown fond of."

"Is that okay?" asked the CPU with worried eyes, "Will auntie and uncle be happy? You won't be sad?"

"We'll be sad if you're sad. So for our sake, please be happy. You have good friends behind you, as much as you want to stay here they'll be waiting for you," replied Dom, grabbing the girl by the hand and helping her up. He then realized that she was an inch taller than him yet he brushed it off as unimportant. With a smile, he then asked her, "Are you ready?"

Yellow Heart glanced at the hairclip on her hand and placed it on her hair, her pair of gloves securely held by her left hand. She gave the boy the thumbs up and an enthusiastic nod while saying, "Yes! I'm ready!"

"Good night."

_Sweet Dreams…_

* * *

Peashy opened her eyes to a pink ceiling, she felt really weird and tired. All around her were toys scattered around, the soft fabric of the carpet she slept on felt really good. She fell into the floor once more yet she used a discarded Neptune doll to land her head on. That was a really weird dream, it also looked real too! But wait, her hands feel a little bit cold. She was surprised to see her gloves lying a few feet away from her leaving her tiny little hands exposed. She slowly wondered on how they go there.

Her right hand unconsciously touched her fringe and felt something. Taking it from her hair, she recognized it as a red hairclip.

The poor child jumped at the sound of her door, someone seemed to be knocking on it. She identified the voice as Nepgear's, "Peashy? Peashy dear, are you there? You have a visitor."

"C-Coming!" replied the little girl as she approached the door and opened it.

Standing in the door way was Nepgear wearing a concerned look and a pink apron. Her hands were firmly placed on either side of her as she said, "Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you! Your visitor's been waiting for ages!"

"No it's fine, Miss Nepgear. She could be quite a handful sometimes," piped up a voice from behind the lilac haired girl. Peashy's eyes blinked twice as she recognized it.

Gently pushing Nepgear aside, the little CPU's eyes brightened as she pounced on the person all of a sudden, "Mommy! Mommy you came!"

"A-Ah! C-Careful now I-I might fall! P-Peashy? Oh my, you're full of energy as always," giggled Rei Ryghts whom was dressed in casual clothes instead of her usual outfit. At her side was a picnic basket filled with food for lunch. With a smile on her face, she ruffled the little girl's hair and continued, "It's good to see you again. Sorry if I haven't dropped by… Y-You know how work is, right?"

"It's okay! What's this? A picnic basket? Are we going to have a picnic? Can we invite Neptuna and Ploot?" asked Peashy as she bounced up and down.

The Ex-Crime leader gave Nepgear and amused look before turning her attention back at the little girl, "Well… I made enough for everyone. So why don't we take them along?"

"Yay!" cheered the little CPU. She was with her mommy again; maybe they'll see her daddy on their way back home. But then again something made her stop and think. She then looked up at her foster mother with a smile on her face, "hey mommy, you wanna hear about this dream I had?"

* * *

"Hey wake up…"

Dom blinked his eyes twice and rubbed away the last traces of sleep. He found himself sitting on a table facing Dia, a steaming mug of coffee laid out in front of him. The sound of the morning news was on the background as he looked around with much confusion. Eventually, his eyes settled on his best friend whom was giving him a weird look.

"How'd I get here?" were the first words he asked her, followed by, "And where'd that pocket dimension go? Is everything back to normal now?"

The brunette took a sip of her coffee and munched on a sandwich she just made as she replied, "Dude, you were asleep the entire time. We spent the whole day clearing dungeons in that game of yours, right? You never left and slept like a sloth on the sofa, you nasty freeloader…"

Of course in this kind of situation, Dom only gave her the proper response, "Huh?"

"You must be dreaming, you barely slept last night since you stayed up late," explained Dia while turning her attention back at the news.

So it was a dream? All of it? Everything that had happened just then, it wasn't all real? The boy reached of his phone and checked the date, what he saw made his eyes widen. It was the day after his first try on sending Peashy away. So did this mean that everything went right? Nothing bad will happen anymore?

"You know…" began his best friend, breaking the ice between them, "It's been a while since any Goddess appeared. You think it's finally over?"

A smirk appeared on the boy's lips as he sipped his coffee before he replied, "Well… We may never know. Maybe it's better this way."

Dream or not, he knew that the experience he had during those loops will be with him forever. Even if his best friend didn't know, at least there was some hyperactive Goddess across dimensions that'll know what happened, along with a Tome. During those days, something within him changed. If it was better or for worst, it was all thanks to one girl.

Histoire's page was laid on top of the table right next to his mug; purple letter began to write themselves on its blank surface.

_Thank you and congratulations!_

_**{PEASHY ARC, COMPLETE}**_

* * *

_Nicolas Notes:_

_Greetings readers and fellow writers. I'm sorry to say that I'm dropping this sto- *Gets smashed by a hammer*_

_Blanc: YOU BASTARD, I DIDN'T GET TO APPEAR YET AND YOU'RE ENDING THIS?! BULLSHIT! I'M GOING TO TEAR YOU APART YOU LAZY BUM!_

_*Regenerates* Ugh, That proved to hurt more than I expected. _

_Blanc: Only serves you right! Well? What the hell are you staring for? get on with the AN!_

_Yes yes, ahem, where was I? Ah yes. That was joke. Honestly... Well, about this chapter, I managed to finish it just before the school year starts for me. Take note that due to my incoming tight schedule, I may or may not be able to update regularly (Blanc: Did you even have a schedule to begin with?) Which will make chapter production low down quite a bit._

_Right now, I feel like I could've given this chapter a better conclusion. I deeply apologize for the mistakes and inconsistencies. I'm also worried that quality may not be like always since I felt this chapter seemed a little bit too dull for my tastes. I had to pull things out of thin air just to keep it going so once again I. Am. Sorry._

_Should there be any grammar errors or typos, you may notify me via review or something something..._

_This was quite the Arc, eh? Truthfully, it could've been more mundane but after last chapter's explosion, i found myself in a very deep hole that I needed to get myself out. So how did I solve the problem? By adding more explosions. This move may not be up to everyone's tastes so I'll do my best to make the endings much more special. _

_I'm going to do my best to exclude any supernatural events, however this being Neptunia that's going to be hard. I really need to practice some more in the Slice of Life thing and not just throwing needless problems at my characters. Look at Dom, I almost got him killed again. _

_Speaking of the boy, I felt that this chapter was more focused on his character development (Blanc: Hold on, you mean he has one?) instead of Peashy. For those that may not like it, I apologize, but that's how i roll._

_Well that's all for now. I left two references in this chapter. One from an oustanding author and one from an anime. I'll see you around when i update next time._

_Yahoo~_


	12. Chapter 12: Twin Lilies

_**White clouds beneath the sun, giving shade to two flowers. You're half way there.**_

* * *

It was dark and cold. She could hear her own breathing echo around. It seemed like she was trapped in an enclosed space with the floor being as cold as steel. She was scared and she didn't know what to do, she didn't know what may pop out of the shadows. There was no way she could produce a light with fear biting down on her skin; she could feel her own hands tremble as she hugged her knees. Just how long has it been since she got trapped in this strange place, that question she couldn't answer.

It wasn't like this a few hours ago. She remembered walking around in the sunshine while eating a lollipop. The sun and the clear blue sky, the memories she had completely contrasted with her current surroundings. She could still remember her sister's warm touch. Reminiscing that was the only thing that kept her from sobbing. She wanted to get out yet she didn't know how. She was too afraid to use her own powers. Something told her at the back of her mind that it would be no use since she was scared.

Something shuffled just ahead of her, making her jump and close her eyes. It was coming closer and closer, what should she do now? She wanted to run but she was trapped, there was no escape! The presence was just in front of her, she could imagine the sharp claws of a nasty monster approaching her. She was going to be eaten!

"Hey, Rom? You okay there?" asked a familiar voice. It was then all traces of fear disappeared with a pop.

Rom opened her eyes and immediately found her twin sister giving her a concerned look. Her lips parted and a single word managed to escape, "R-Ram?"

"I'll take that as a yes then," said Ram with an assuring smile. It seemed like she was close enough for her features to be seen. She then began to blink and look around while scratching her head while saying, "Uh… Do you know where we are? I think I just woke up from a nap."

Gulping down the lump on her throat, her twin sister immediately replied, "A-Ah… Well… I thought I was all alone when I woke up too. I don't know where we are. Ram, I'm glad you're okay."

"Thanks! So you don't know where we are either, huh?" the long haired twin had a thoughtful expression on her face as she crossed her arms.

"No. I have no idea where we are," admitted the short haired twin as she tightened her embrace on her knees. She jumped at the sharp sound of a clap which caused her to turn her attention to her sister.

Standing up, Ram rubbed her hands together while wearing a confident smile on her face, "Alright. Why don't we try busting our way out? We can't just sit here forever you know?"

Rom blinked in confusion as she tried to register her sister's words, only to crack a smile of her own in agreement, "Yes. Let's go home."

She took her sister's hand and stood up two. The two held each other as they felt their way through the small dark room they were in. Now that they were moving about a bit, they felt a little cramped. They only managed to hit what seemed like a dead end when the long haired twin walked right into it. She uttered a surprised yelp as she fell, rubbing her sore forehead as she looked at the dead end with angry eyes.

The blue clad candidate tapped the metal wall a few times before turning to her sister with a shake of her head, "It's no use. It won't budge."

"Then we'll blast it open!" the vigor from the pink clad candidate's voice echoed all around the enclosed space. With a single jump, she quickly got back to her feet and balled her hand into a fist.

"H-Huh?! Are you sure? W-Will that be okay?" asked Rom in an unsure tone yet it seemed like her sister was way ahead of her.

_**BOOM**_

A bright ball of light connected with the wall and destroyed it. A warm breeze entered the enclosed space along with the smell of wet asphalt. Lamp posts could be seen from the opening the girl made along with big black metal boxes. The stars were out so it was probably nighttime already, strange since the sun was up and shining an hour ago. Just how long were they trapped inside that box?

Punching a fist into the air, Ram let out a cry of joy and wasted no time running outside, her sister following suit. Looking around, they realized they were trapped in what looked like a freight container, how they got there was still a mystery to both of them. Still, it was a relief to be finally out of that cold place. The only problem now was that they had no idea where they were. The two girls looked at each other and came to an understanding.

They weren't home.

The air wasn't thick with the feeling of magic or shares. It was empty, hollow, and tasteless. Were they even in Gamindustri? The sky isn't that clear either and there was this weird smell like gasoline. Just what was up with this place? Somehow this area reminded them of the horrible place known as Gamindustri Graveyard, the desolated wasteland of darkness and home of monsters. The memory of freeing their sister and the other CPUs from that place still lurked at the back of their minds.

The atmosphere of the location they were in was the same. Unlike the Graveyard, it didn't give out an intimidating vibe and fear of high leveled monsters hiding at every corner. It was the same at the sense of that they were no longer in their home territory that they could no longer sit back and relax as if they were traversing a normal dungeon with beatable foes. They both felt empty and even with each other they felt alone.

"W-why don't we go and look around, huh?" Ram suggested while letting out a nervous chuckle. She had to be strong since she was the only one her sister could depend on at the moment. However as they were about to leave, spots of light could be seen at a distance, shaking and approaching closer by the second. It wasn't long until they could hear shouts with deep voices; they could tell that the owners were men.

Rom tugged at her sister's sleeve and said, "We should g-go."

"Right, let's—" the pink clad girl's words were cut off as the men ran out of the corner and came to a halt with wide eyes. They were wearing blue uniform and black shoes, baton like weapons were strapped to their sides along with very small guns.

One of them nearly dropped his flashlight as he set his eyes upon the damage while exclaiming, "Holy crap… The door was blown off!"

"What the hell? Is it a bomb? Oh my god, it hit a shipping company's cargo! Damn this is gonna suck for customers," said another as he inspected the fallen metal. Glancing around, he turned his flashlight on the two girls whom were rooted on the spot like statues. Of course taking in their bizarre appearance took some time for his brain to process yet it seemed like his partner was way ahead of him.

Advancing to the two girls, the man in blue then said, "You two, what are you doing here? This is no place for kids to play! Where are your parents? Hey! Where are you going?!"

"R-Ram!" stuttered Rom, surprised as her sister suddenly grabbed her hand and broke into a run.

"I don't know who these guys are, but I don't like them! Run as fast as you can!" yelled Ram as the two blue men were hot on their heels.

There were a lot of the metal boxes lying around, either stacked or tucked away in the corner. The number of warehouses seemed to be plentiful along with strange yellow vehicles that the long haired twin forgot their names. Still, she navigated her way through the maze like structure of their location. Strange since she's been catching the scent of the sea for a while now even though she's only been to one sea once. Could it be that they were near the sea? If so, then what were they doing there?

She held her sister's hand tightly and looked back. Rom showed her a resolute expression as she tried her hardest to keep up with her sibling's pace. She won't last long even if she tried so the long haired twin had to lose their pursuers at any cost. The ocean, she could hear it, just around the corner…

Ram stopped in her tracks at the scenery before her. The dark waters beneath them splashing and roaring in the moonlight, the lights which came from the large red cranes blaring brightly as their rays swept across the waters. Bells chimed and rang from the various boats along with the groans of the metal wires which lifted up the large metal boxes. At the background of these structures were lights… beautiful bright yellow lights. There seemed to be millions of them illuminating skyscrapers and other buildings.

However what really took their breath away was the bridge at the distance.

The cold and intimidating feeling from walking into this strange world seemed to have lessened quite a bit. This wasn't Lastation, and it would be too industrialized to be Planeptune. What kind of world the twins got themselves into as still a mystery even to them.

The two were dragged out of their stupor by the growing sounds of their pursuers behind them. Ram hesitated as she gazed into the murky depths beneath her; no way was she jumping into that. She was about to turn to her sister for a last stand but it seemed like the blue clad twin had other ideas. She held her sister's hand and pulled her away.

…..

….

…

"Huh? Where'd they go?"

"I don't know, search for them! They could be lost. Damned kids cosplaying, what the hell's going through their skulls?"

"Search for the east side while I had back to the entrance, they couldn't have gone far."

The guards spread out to cover more in their search. Yet little did they know that they made a mistake not checking out the area thoroughly. Ram and Rom sighed in relief as they hid behind a truck filled with sacks of sand. They would hide out there until the morning, find a way out of this place and go home. At least that was the plan when the truck roared to life all of a sudden, followed by a continuous beeping sound.

"Um, Ram?" whispered the blue clad girl in a tiny voice.

The pink clad girl blinked twice and stared at her sibling with a reply, "Yeah?"

"Where are we?" asked Rom as she timidly poked her head out of the truck. Orange lamp posts flew overhead as they headed to their unknown destination. She held her sister tightly as if afraid that she'll disappear at any moment.

Ram understood what her sibling felt. That's why she tried to sound as normal as possible, "Well… I think we're about to find out."

It seemed like it was going to be a long trip…

* * *

Morning came and a sneeze escaped a girl clad in blue as a butterfly landed on her nose. Groggily rising from her sleep, she rubbed her eyes and blinked a couple of times to clear her vision. The landscape that greeted her eyes was filled with green. A wide area of neatly trimmed grass lied before her with vibrant trees standing a few meters away from each other as a gray path cut through the ground. The birds chirped somewhere around her as the sun slowly rose up into the sky.

She noticed quite a few people walking around wearing tank tops and kitting shorts while listening to music. They paid no mind to her and the other girl sleeping peacefully at her side. A yawn escaped her as she stretched out her limbs and tapped at the barrier she had erected around them. Once her finger came in contact with the air around them, a blue pulse revealed countless of invisible polygons protecting them as they slept. Still, somehow keeping a spell with low mana cost all night felt exhausting as if she just cast a finishing move.

Shaking off that feeling, she looked above her and found out that the sky had a deep shade of purple on it as the transition from night to day happened. After escaping from the port which they found themselves in, she and her sister walked around aimlessly through the vast city with countless of lights. Of course, having two young girls without anyone accompanying them in the middle of a concrete metropolis was just asking for trouble; however it proved that the two were more than capable of protecting themselves with their powers.

Yet they soon found out that it wouldn't do fighting off every creep approaching them so they decided to beat it and head where they would be safe. Navigating through the city and after three hours of continuous walking, they finally managed to find shelter in a roofed bench inside a park. On that night, they've both come to a conclusion that they weren't in Gamindustri at all but in a whole new world. As strange as it was, there was no other choice but to find a way home… If there was ever one in the first place…

Ram would sure tell her off for thinking that way should she be awake.

"Hey Ram?" muttered Rom as she swung her legs back and forth, gazing at her sister whom stirred from her sleep.

The long haired twin rose up and stretched her arms before scratching the back of her neck while saying in a drowsy state, "G'morning… Eh? Where are we? This isn't our room."

"We got lost, remember?" reminded the short haired twin while her sibling stared at her for a few moments.

"Ah, right. We got stuck in this weird place," said Ram, slapping a hand on her forehead in exasperation. She released a small sigh before turning to her sister while saying, "You got any clue where we are yet? I'm getting kind of hungry… If we don't eat breakfast soon then we'll starve to death…"

Rom patted the other girl's head in an assuring manner and replied, "Don't worry. We'll find something to eat."

"You're right!" the pink clad candidate suddenly regained her vigor and stood up. She clenched her fist and twirled around, speaking to her sister in a confident tone, "We should get going! Blanc's gonna be so mad when we get home!"

Despite their current predicament, the blue clad candidate couldn't help but be amazed on how composed her sibling was. They were lost without any food or money and no idea where to go or what to do yet even so, her sister still had the strength to smile that brightly. She thought that it would be good to steel her own resolve and support her sibling. Doing so, maybe she'll receive the same confidence her sister had.

Still, she agreed though, they would really be knee deep in trouble for not getting home and spending the morning in some park.

They immediately exited the park to walk around the city once again. Navigating through the concrete jungle, they managed to see the various early morning cars driving by to an unknown destination. The streets were mostly deserted and they rarely encountered anyone unsavory. They strolled about for a few minutes, asking for a way back to their own world yet whenever they did people would only give them a weird look and shoo them away. Of course Ram didn't take this rudeness lightly and Rom had to restrain her sister from casting a dense spell to freeze an entire store.

As they travelled, the two girls failed to see any familiar faces that they would usually encounter in the streets.

They did manage to learn a thing or two about their location. If what the kind young man they passed by was to be trusted, they were currently in the city ward of Shinjuku which was just a few miles off Minato where they were trapped in that metal container. That could only mean that the large body of water they beheld could only be Tokyo Bay.

Seeing as the twins lived in the mountainous region of Lowee and rarely went to visit the land of Leanbox which wasn't that far off from the mainland, seeing the endless horizon of water back then seemed overwhelming. The cool sea air, the refreshing sight of the body of water, and the howling of the waves left a good impression on the two girls. It would be nice visiting that place sometime again.

"Whoa! Look, it's a train!"

At her sister's amazed voice, Rom was drawn back into reality. Before them was a large metal train just coming to a halt and opening its doors for the incoming passengers. The footsteps of dozens among dozens of passengers filled their ears; the random and broken conversation which floated in the air seemed lively enough to match the morning's mood. Seeing as the crowd of people came from both sides, the twins were caught in the incoming tide and were forced into the train.

Luckily for them, they managed to hold on to each other's hands to prevent themselves from getting separated. The two of them were breathing hard as getting stuck between the bodies of strangers left them breathless from the lack of air. Ram straightened her dress in annoyance with a huff while her sister grabbed her shoulder for support.

"Ugh… I feel dizzy…" muttered Rom, her head swaying from side to side in a daze, "Ram, help…"

Surprised at this development, the pink clad candidate tried to console her sibling as she ran through her mind for a remedy spell. Of all times to be struck with a status ailment, she clicked her tongue before replying to her sister, "J-just hold on! Um, um… I wonder if we can find a toilet and—"

A yelp escaped her lips as she fell down. The train began to move all of a sudden, thus causing her to fall on her hind. Rom on the other hand smacked her palms on her lips in shock. She gazed at her sister with teary eyes as if pleading for help.

"W-Whoa! Don't puke on me! Just wait here, I'll think of something!" said Ram as she looked from left to right for something her sister can expel her dinner. Unfortunately, she didn't find anything useful and unconsciously scratched her head to think up ideas. Her fingers touched the fabric of her hat which caused her to raise her eyebrows.

Taking off her hat from her head, she looked inside with a grimace before turned to gaze at her sibling. The look of resignation the blue clad candidate saw on her sibling's face made her feel a bit sorry. She then shook her head wildly before steeling her resolve. She could do this; all it needed was some guts. So with all her determination, she gave her sister a serious look while giving her a thumb up.

_You can do it, sis. I respect your bravery, _thought Ram while releasing a sigh. She would have to keep her sibling from making a mess in the train for as long as possible. It was news to her to know that Rom could easily get motion sickness. Patting her sister's back, she led her to a vacant seat and sat there.

Looking around, there were a lot of unfamiliar people surrounding them. The train wasn't exactly crowded but full enough to have the benches occupied. Maybe the large number of strangers was also part of the reason why Rom felt sick. She noted how different the outfits these people wore from the ones back home.

A group of girls wore yellow blouses with a school emblem and short navy blue skirts, a business man in a suit dozed off peacefully at the side, there was a boy dressed in a black uniform listening to his phone, and a young man wearing a blue jacket with his hood on at the corner of the car, the scene before her eyes was bordered on surreal. Not too many people back in her home wore such simple designs; the little girl wondered if this was some new fashion trend she wasn't aware about.

Then again, she mentally kicked herself for not remembering that she wasn't in Gamindustri anymore. The mere thought of it still felt unbelievable, however after going through one dimension once she kept in mind that it was possible for another dimension to exist other than the one she went to.

Scratching her cheek, she slowly wondered how and why she and her sister got sent into this kind of place.

She usually left the thinking to Nepgear and Uni whenever something like this happened. Now that she was in a more or less similar situation, she somehow understood their pain. Looking beside her, she noticed how her sister's hands were trembling while an uncomfortable look was on her face. There were big fat tears gathering at the sides of her eyes as she focused all of her will on one task.

"You don't need to push yourself, you know?" said Ram as she leaned forward to get a better look on the other girl's face.

Rom gave her a pathetic look and uttered what seemed like a whimper. An air of gloom could be easily noticed hanging above the blue clad candidate's head.

Cracking a smile, the pink clad candidate crossed her arms while saying, "We'll be going off at the next stop, so you can hold it in for a few more minutes, right? Honestly I don't even know where we're headed in the first place, ahahaha."

Giving her a look of horror, the short haired twin took her palms off her lips and flailed her arms in the air. It was a comedic sight due to the fact that she had her cheeks puffed up as she tried to tell her sister off yet found it impossible without opening her mouth. She disliked it whenever Ram acted stupid and she disliked it even more that she did something rash while she let out a dry laugh. Rom always saw a bad premonition whenever she heard that laugh.

The long haired twin managed to catch on her sister's discomfort and opened her mouth to speak, "If you move like that then—!"

It was then did the train decided to stop.

"Um… Sorry Ram…"

* * *

_**Growl~**_

Putting one foot ahead of the other, the twins sluggishly made their way through the busy streets of Akihabara. Since the sun was high up in the air during that time, the number of people they encountered increased tenfold. Foot traffic became heavier and the smell from the exhausts of the many vehicles passing by the road made them dizzy. To top it all off, it was as if butterflies flew within their starving stomach since they had nothing to eat ever since they got into this world.

Rom had it worse after her little accident in the train. Luck merely glanced at them back then and allowed them to escape just before a commotion erupted. It didn't abate her increasing hunger though and without any money, they wouldn't be able to purchase anything delicious.

"Wahh… So hungry," sighed Ram as she rubbed her belly. She now wore a simple gray dress over a white long sleeved blouse which was hidden underneath her pink coat back then. The reason she took off her coat and hat was because of her sister's 'little accident' which was by no means pretty.

Rom glanced at her sister before turning her head towards a stand in the distance. She shared her sibling's pain, she too rubbed her tummy as words escaped her lips, "Me too… I wanna go home…"

"Well, we can't just go home just by sitting around, right? We need to keep walking… find… answers… So hungry…. Ugh…" with a thud, the long haired twin collapsed on the floor. The warm concrete caused her skin to protest a bit however her mind was too blurry to process the pain. She really needed food, it seemed like she was starting to hallucinate. The people walking by were slowly morphing into sweets and cupcakes with legs.

There was a delicious scent in the air that she couldn't explain yet it made her mouth water just by thinking about it. She felt some pressure on her back which was moving back and forth. Gazing at her side she found her sister prodding her with a similar dazed look in her face.

With a bright smile, the short haired twin said, "Come on… We need to go… You can't sleep here…"

"Can't… I wanna eat Gear's pancakes… Hey, you hear that sound?" asked Ram with a confused tone at that last sentence.

The two girls looked directly at the incoming truck with surprised looks. They visions immediately cleared and the haze enveloping their minds suddenly vanished. Unfortunately, their reaction time wasn't that quick enough to escape the approaching metal steed in time. They were going to be hit.

_**BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP**_

"Hup!"

A slender arm quickly scoop Ram from the ground and lifted her with ease while another grabbed Rom by the collar and dragged her along. The truck had enough speed to generate wind as it passed by; the mere sensation of it hitting the long haired girl caused her heart to rattle within her rib cage. The blue clad candidate on the other hand felt her stomach flutter once more at the near death experience. That was way too close for her comfort.

If they hadn't been dragged off, they would've gotten injured or worse…

The twins sat on the other side of the street, staring at the Ram's soiled coat in the middle of road which was run over by the truck's wheels. Between the two of them, they could hear a series of strained breathing. It could only be the person who saved them.

It was a girl. A young woman in her teens knelt between them, wiping her forehead as it accumulated sweat. She fixed her lush brown hair which was tied in a braid and allowed it to cascade down her shoulder before standing up. She massaged her temple as she decided to replace her labored expression into a warm smile.

Extending a hand each to help them up, this new person then said, "That was dangerous. Are you two okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"

Ram and Rom could only blink at her words. Somehow the air this girl gave out reminded the twins of a certain someone. A person who looked after them and terrified them, the one their elder sister trusted with their safety whenever she went out. They were reminded by Lowee's one and only Oracle, Mina Nishizawa however it was impossible for her and this girl to be the same person.

The long haired candidate would have never expected the following events to happened, but it seemed like her sister was the first one to break the ice, "Angel… You're an angel..?"

"W-What?" asked the girl in a flustered manner. She regained her composure as she noticed the number of people gathering around the three of them. Maybe it would be better to take them with her. She felt sorry for them due to their looks. It was clearly obvious that they needed some food to speak clearly so being the soft hearted person she is, she had no choice but to take them to '_that_' place.

She released a small sigh through her nose before shaking her head to say, "Never mind what I said. If you two aren't hurt anywhere, would you like to eat something with me? After that, maybe we could call your parents or your guardians. You girls look lost."

Ram only caught on to the 'eat' part before the rest faded into nothingness. As long as she ate something, she was good. Even if she was a CPU candidate, she would definitely be in debt to this angel right now. Sometimes her sister would just choose the best words to describe the situation. Losing all of her remaining strength, she fell forward into the girl's foot.

"Food…" she grumbled with drool dripping out of her lips.

The girl's jaw hung from her face and slowly placed a palm before it. She stepped back and fell on her knees, giving the little girl a bear hug as she squealed, "Cuuuuuute! Thank god that I'm alive! This is just priceless!"

"Wha-what's happening?" asked Rom as the girl's sudden reaction woke her out of her stupor. She let out a yelp as a hand grabbed her out of nowhere and forced her into an embarrassing embrace. Her face becoming more and more similar to a tomato's color, the blue clad candidate let out a defeated breath as her brain broke down. She could feel her face get hotter and hotter, she was being hugged by a stranger, it was too much for her to stay conscious.

A loud growl from her stomach created a cat like smile on the strange girl's lips, "Whoa! Your tummy just went *Ugrururu*! We'll stop by a restaurant before I help you girls find your parents. I obviously can't leave you two like this!"

The twins could only resign to their fate as the girl dragged them off. They were too weak to fend her off anyway, so what's the worst that could happen?

* * *

"What do you mean it's a crime? I'm playing the role of a good Samaritan by helping out little kids! What's so wrong about that? You idiot, I'm not going to get arrested! Shut up, I'm feeding them now. Yes, yes I have enough money to pay."

Ram eyed the young woman before her and her sister with a suspicious eye. She's been yelling and talking to that phone of hers for the last six minutes and it really looked like she disliked the person she was talking to. It was already twenty minutes since they met this girl whom had taken them to the nearest restaurant to eat. The long haired twin didn't trust her completely yet so she merely crossed her arms and refused to eat her meal until she got some answers.

Unfortunately, she hadn't expected that this call would take up a lot of her time. She was getting insanely hungry again and with the food before her left untouched for a long while now, she may not be able to resist and indulge herself into satisfying her stomach. Her sister on the other hand was uncharacteristically eating away at her side, sipping on her drink before nibbling on a hamburger.

"This is good, Ram! Would you like some?" asked Rom as she offered her sister a bit of her share.

The long haired twin's lips trembled just as she shook her head and said, "N-No! Not yet! Besides, how can you eat? The food's gotta be poisoned or something!"

"I tested it with a small bit of magic and found that it was clean. Please… You'll get hungry soon," replied the blue clad candidate with a smile.

_**Growl~ **_

"Hm? Oh no, why aren't you eating yet? Is something wrong?" questioned the brown haired girl. Her little call seemed to have ended just then and had been observing the two girls for a few seconds with a dreamy expression. It quickly changed to a worried look the moment she heard that stomach growl.

Ram tensed as the girl's sudden gaze turned to her which caused her to quickly look away, "Gah! W-We can't just accept things from strangers you know? I mean, we don't have any money and—"

"You probably heard this, but you don't have to worry about that," cut off the young woman as a warm smile appeared on her visage, "What you need to do now is regain your strength, we'll look for your parents afterwards since they might be worried sick. Can you tell me your names? I don't know why, but I think I've seen you two before…"

"Tch," the long haired twin clicked her tongue as she said, "Why don't _you_ tell us your name first? We can't just trust you just yet."

"Ram, that's very rude…" pointed out Rom, giving her sister a helpless look.

The other girl crossed her arms and let out a huff, she certainly was stubborn as she kept that glare, "I don't care, we have to be careful! Well lady? What are you waiting for?"

"Uh… Now if do put it that way…" the young woman scratched her cheek as she gave out a nervous smile, "Sorry for being rude and all. Ahem, my name is Dia. I was just on my way to work when I came across you two; really, I have no ill intentions or anything. Besides, you two almost got into an accident, I couldn't just stand there and watch get run over you know?"

"I-Is that so, huh? Thanks, I guess… We almost got turned into pancakes," Ram bashfully scratched her head as she stared at her knees. However something clicked within her mind which made her raise her head while saying, "Hold on, didn't you say you'll help us get home?"

Dia blinked twice and gave the ceiling a thoughtful look, "Well, I did say that. Maybe I'll have some time to spare and help you out. So how about your mother and father's contact number? Do you know it? Can you find your way home?"

"We… Don't have a mom and dad… We have a big sister but she's busy with work," muttered Rom after taking a sip from her drink. What she said was the truth of course, Blanc would always be out working and the three of them didn't have any parents. The closest person they had to a mother was Mina; even then, she was just their Oracle.

"Hmph, we don't even know where we are but I think we're really far off home. There's not enough mountains and colors. This place looks really boring," commented Ram as she started shoving food into her mouth. Her stomach felt way well now it was being filled up, even the dizziness she felt was now slowly vanishing. Not only that, but these strange delicacies were top notch, she just had to bring this home with her. It'll make a killing.

"I see… Well, if your home's in the mountains then do you at least know how to call your sister?" asked the brunette, leaning back in her chair with an uncomfortable expression, "Knowing your own address and a few contact numbers will make getting you home a whole lot easier."

Munching on value meal with bright eyes, it took the long haired twin a few seconds to reply, "Nope. Not gonna work. Rom, explain."

"But…" sighing, the blue clad candidate had no choice but to do as her sister requested, "We're from a different world. We could… Tell that we're in some far off place… Magic isn't abundant. It's hard to make spells. We get tired easily. Something's wrong with this world. We don't know what it is, but we feel like we're weakening. Like _that_ time, right Ram?"

"If you mean that time when we almost lost all of our shares, then yeah, it's just like that," the other girl chimed in between bites of food, "What I can say is *munch* Phe ar nit in Ga'dusti an'mo." She swallowed hard while chugging down her drink, "Ahh~. Well lady, if you can get a lick of sense in what we just said, then I'll eat my own hat. Not too many people understood what we were saying when we asked around and we got really confused when they said that we're in a Landmass called Japan. I think we're in the same boat now, huh? We don't this place while you don't get us. What do you think now?"

"Ah…" Dia stared at the twins for a few seconds with a look of surprise. Her face then adopted a serious expression in which her eyes gained a piercing gaze, "This is bad…"

Taken aback, Ram sat up and grabbed the edge of the table, "W-What's wrong? Why aren't you laughing like those adults back then? Aren't you going to say that this is a joke?"

"How can I joke about this? We've been keeping an eye out for beings like you two," answered the brunette in a firm tone, "Because of you, a close friend of mine almost died. An incident three weeks ago nearly got him killed because he wanted to save one of your kind even when he knew it was dangerous."

"You… know about us?" whimpered Rom as she tried to get as far away as possible from this person. Somehow the comfortable atmosphere earlier had all but vanished. At that moment, the food started to look unappetizing with the cold air. The blue clad candidate felt goose bumps all over her skin as her eyes met with the human girl.

The long haired twin felt hostile intent from the brunette and quickly got up, "Who are you?"

Dia cracked a smirk as she twirled her fork and pointed it at the candidate, "I'm Dia, remember? I'm a member of an organization that handles supernatural being like you two and from our records, the energy readings you two are emitting could only mean that you girls are Goddesses… From another dimension nonetheless…"

"Rom, we're getting out of here—"

"It's no use," cut off the brunette. She tapped her fork on her fruitcake and explained further, "Everyone in this store is a part of our group. Should you do anything rash, then we'll be forced to resort to violent means of restraining you."

Ram gritted her teeth as she realized how bad the situation was. They were surrounded; all of these people around them were enemies. The adults, the students and even the children, just how powerful could this so called group to have them all working for this girl. She felt the cold, unforgiving fangs of fear sinking down in her heart. Her hands trembled as she thought of ways to get her sister out of this place safely. If push comes to shove then she'll have to transform and let her sister escape.

Clenching her fist, she got ready to use her most powerful skill. Her eyes shined like bright sapphires as the air hummed with energy. Despite that, the girl named Dia remained unfazed.

"Ram, stop. She's lying,"

"Huh?"

Rom placed a comforting hand on her sister's shoulder and shook her head, "She's riling you up on purpose, see?"

"Eh?" following her siblings finger, she found out that the brunette was doing everything she can to stop herself from laughing. Her cheeks were swollen while tears formed at the edge of her eye. Lowering her head, a stream of giggling fit escaped her mouth while she hit the table. She only stopped as she ran out of breath and was breathing hard, massaging her ribcage as she gave the girls an amused look.

"Alright, I never expected that to actually work. Pfft, but seriously, are you lot really that gullible?" sniggered Dia as she restrained herself from laughing any further, "I think my acting skill are getting better, hm?"

"You were joking," muttered Ram in a deadpan, her eyes were hidden under her fringe as her fists shook in anger.

With a smile, the human girl then replied, "Of course I was joking~"

"**ICE COFFIN!"**

* * *

The twins sat on one side of a store with bore expressions. It's been a long while since they left the restaurant with a bang. The huge block of ice they left still wasn't removed, that should be enough for the media to flock on. They were watching the news now while a few customers gathered around and took their pictures; it's not that they minded though so long these people didn't get in the way of the television. It was the only thing they could do to pass the time while they waited patiently for that weird girl to finish her part time job.

Turns out that she was still willing to help them even after almost getting turned into a huge block of ice. All she asked them was to sit in a corner and watch some T.V. shows while she worked, she didn't say anything about people swarming the store just to take their picture. The result was that the bakery they were in was brimming with people, causing all of its workers to double up the effort on serving them all. It didn't help the fact that there were only two people working at the place.

A yawn escaped Rom which somehow caused some of the customers to squeal as the adorable hit them.

This ticked off Ram enough to say loudly, "Can you guys be quiet? We can't hear Alucard speak, for Lowee's sake!"

The clock ticked by and the anime the twins were watching ended, the customers whittled down to a few people and the person they've been waiting for has been finally released of her duty. Someone poked the longhaired twin in the cheek which woke her up. She seemed to have fallen asleep at some point with her sister at her side.

Her eyes settled upon a young woman wearing an orange hoodie and long skirt standing near her, it was Dia.

"You'll hurt your back if you sleep like that," she said as she reached in to path Rom on the shoulder, "Hey, wake up, it's time to go."

"Nn?" the blue clad candidate woke up and rubbed her eyes, her sleepy state causing her to sway slightly from side to side, "We going home?"

Ram got up from her seat and stretched her arms. She gazed just outside the bakery only to see the orange rays of the setting sun behind the buildings. Turning to the human girl she crossed her arms and said, "Well? You said you were going to help us, so let's go!"

"Aren't you going to wear this first?" asked the brunette as she brought up some freshly laundered clothes. Inspecting it further, it was the long haired twin's pink coat, all dry and clean with no signs of Rom's little… _accident _on it. Ram reluctantly took them and examined it. Giving it a sniff, the scent of the fabric conditioner was so pleasing that it made her smile. It looked like it was brand new.

"But why?" she asked as she glanced at the human girl, "We didn't do anything so you didn't have to do this for me. I guess I should thank you for now."

"It's not much of a problem, really," replied Dia with a nervous laugh, "Besides, girls have to wear cute clothes at all times, you know?" To the still dazed Rom she said, "Come on, chop, chop. I'll explain what you need to know on the way back. I'm sure you two have no place to stay, right? Good thing my house isn't that far from here, we'll just ride the last train back into Shinjuku then you two can hit the bath afterwards."

"Back?" piped up Ram with a frown.

"Train?" whimpered Rom as she cast a fearful look at the human girl.

The twins didn't get to say much more as the brunette grabbed them by the back of their clothes and started dragging them out. They heard her shout a goodbye to her manager before strutting out of the bakery and into the streets. After a while, the two began to struggle in which Dia was forced to let them go. They were already near the station when that happened.

"Sorry about that, I can't have you two out of my sight now. Last time I went looking for a Goddess in this city was till I dropped and gained a cold. I had to sit through a one hour lecture of my friend on my stubbornness," she apologized yet still retained that casual air around her, "Ah, right. I think you two haven't given me your names yet, come on now, I introduced myself earlier so you two should do the same."

"I'm Rom," said the blue clad candidate, avoiding eye contact with the brunette as she spoke.

"And I'm Ram, CPU candidates of the Land of White Serenity, Lowee!" finished the pink clad candidate with much pride. She then crossed her arms and gave the girl before them a smug look while saying, "Which is why you should give us proper respect since we're Goddesses! You better be scared!"

Dia scratched her head as she replied, "Well, I think I'll die from blood loss instead of being afraid…"

"Um… Miss Dia?" muttered Rom.

"Something wrong?"

"I was wondering if it's okay to ask… How come you know so much about us..? That we're Goddesses and about our abilities..? Those mean people last night, they all looked so… scared when Ram fought them…. Why are you different from them?" the blue clad candidate asked, holding on the back of her sister's coat. She felt so awkward under the human girl's gaze, she knew this person wasn't an enemy but she was still a stranger, and she didn't work well with strangers.

It didn't take long for the brunette to answer, "I'm kind of used to it by now. You two aren't the first ones to come in this world. In fact, I've already met three Goddesses and I always helped them out. I may not know much, but the friend I have knows much more than I do. You could try asking him for a way back. As for how I knew what you two were, let's just say that the people that dress weird whenever I encounter them are not human. Not that you two are wearing weird clothes or anything, it's just that you have some other sense of fashion than normal have."

"So these clothes aren't what people usually wear here, huh?" chimed in Ram as she walked behind the human girl.

"Yup," chirped Dia with a smile, "Though those clothes are cute by the way. Some people might think you two are cosplaying if you go out in public like that. Good thing you two were hanging around Akiba or else people might look at you two strangely."

"Question!" exclaimed the pink clad candidate while raising her hand in the air, "Where are we? I know we're in the Landmass of Japan and all, but where exactly are we? What the heck is this world?"

Seeing the girl's enthusiasm, the brunette decided to choose her words carefully while trying to be as informative as possible, "Well, you two are from this place called Gamindustri, correct? This world is a separate plane from that one. This world is known as Earth and it has a lot of countries, cultures and people. Each and every single one of them being different from the other so they're never the same. Goddesses or magic don't exist here as well as monsters. Japan is better known as a country, an island nation with magnificent sights and bustling cities. I don't know how else to say this, but in this world, you two are fictional characters from a game."

"Wait… a game? Fictional? I don't get it," muttered Ram with a confused expression.

This time, it was her sibling who spoke in turn, "We… Are characters in this world? In a game?"

"I don't know the specifics, but that's how it is," admitted the human girl with a defeated sigh, "My friend's investigating the matter but despite that he wasn't able to get any answers from that Page of his. But it's not like you two aren't that all important! What's good is that you're here and that you're safe. You can worry about the existential mumbo jumbo later, right? Ah, we're at the station. You two stay close now."

There wasn't that much people on the car they went in so it was fine to continue their discussion. Dia had the twins sit on either side of her as they gazed out of the moving train's windows. Their eyes were greeted by the city lights and its dazzling beauty. Fortunately, Rom didn't get sick unlike last time so they were able to enjoy the view as much as they can. It sure was a refreshing sight from the scenery of Lowee, but they both knew that their home was still better.

Reminiscing the clean air and the beautiful sky made them both a bit homesick.

"I wonder if Mina and Blanc are okay…" muttered Ram in a low tone. She pressed her hand against the glass as she gazed into the distance. She knew the feeling of being separated from her elder sister and she disliked that feeling. This had been the longest time she had away from her elder sister ever since the ASIC uprising. Those three years where she and Rom fought for their existences… The memories of the past gave her the shivers. It was like having a weird case of déjà vu.

Rom noticed her sibling's worried voice and held her hand, warmth transferring between their skins. She gave her sister a small smile and said, "Don't worry. They'll be fine."

"Heh, you should be the one worrying now, you worrywart," giggled the pink clad candidate.

Unlike the night before, they now had someone helping them. Finding a way back was no longer impossible. They weren't alone anymore and they were probably a step closer to getting home.

* * *

_Nicolas Notes:_

_Hello there and greetings once again. Been awhile, hm? Worry not, friend, I was just taking a short break. Morale has been at an all time low so I won't be saying much. Need more time to finish other projects. _

_As always, any mistakes, inconsistencies, errors, or whatnot will be addressed to if the complaint is polite enough. I'll be lending you guys my ears once more and I'll be doing my best to correct myself._

_Thank you for taking your time in reading. I hope that you will also enjoy this arc. _


	13. Chapter 13: The Idiot and the Princess

Dia was in a complex situation. Right in front of her was a pair of girls sleeping peacefully while within her grasp was a pencil and sketch pad. Sweat oozed from her forehead as her pencil hovered just above her half-finished drawing, her hands trembling at the ominous presence she felt behind her. It felt cold, tense, and unforgiving, it was the first time she ever felt this sensation. She had no idea why or where it came from, but she figured it was the result of the sound of the door opening and closing a few minutes ago.

She didn't know what she was doing wrong, all she did was go home, take a shower, and make some hot coffee when she found the twins following her in a rather adorable position. Their heads were leaning on each other as they sat on the sofa. Of course, taking pictures was out of the question since she lacked a camera, so she settled for the next best thing which was sketching the scene.

Then the presence happened which brings us back to the current situation.

"Hey Dia~. You know I'm this close to calling the police, right? What you're doing is gonna be crime, you know?" sneered a boy's voice from behind the brunette, the tone was laced with a cold steely edge which somehow sent shivers down the girl's spine.

Putting up a strained smile on her face, she then replied in a quivering voice, "I-I-It's not what you think! Besides, y-you better not do anything that'll wake them up…"

"Ho?" the voice behind her just got colder; its threatening aura caused Dia to feel goose bumps on her skin. The person behind her didn't stop there and continued, "I understand how you are fond with children, but there's a good reason why you try to avoid the orphanage, right?" The voice only got closer until it was right beside her ear, "You god damned lolicon…"

Dia swung her arm yet only managed to hit air. She clicked her tongue as she saw a familiar face bob up and move away from her. She took a step forward and got ready to punch said person square in the face, only to have a palm blocking her view while the boy before her lifted up a phone.

"One wrong move and your entire school gets to know the real you," warned Dom with a devious grin on his lips. His face then adopted a serious expression as he continued, "Now step away from the twins if you value your pride and dignity. Put the weapons on the floor."

"Is this really necessary?" asked the brunette yet she flinched when the boy's thumb hovered over the send button.

"No, but I think I always wanted to say that," admitted Dom with a thoughtful look on his face.

"You'll make a bad cop," hissed the girl through gritted teeth.

"Like I care," replied the boy with a half-hearted shrug. He then frowned as he peeked over Dia's shoulder to get a good look at the sleeping twins. With a thoughtful expression, he then continued, "So you managed to get not one but two, huh? I wouldn't be surprised if we got the whole package next time. But really now, two Goddesses, as if one wasn't hard enough to deal with…"

He was caught by surprise when the brunette grabbed him by his shoulder and dragged him upstairs with unexpectedly strong arms. In a very annoyed manner, the girl warned him, "If you don't shut up and accidentally wake them up, I'm going to cut you. Let's get you to a quiet place where you can whine to your heart's content."

"Hey, watch the shirt, it's expensive!" complained Dom before getting smacked in the head to be silenced.

The two managed to reach the second floor with minimal noise, though there was much biting and punching throughout the brief journey. Breathing hard, the two friends stood in the middle of the hallway, far from the sleeping Candidates below them.

Fixing her pajama and rolling her sleeves, Dia crossed her arms and asked, "Okay, you're the one who knows more than me. Please explain why two Goddesses appeared instead of one? This hasn't happened before, right?"

"Look, I don't have a clue as to why, but you should know by now that I'll be asking Histoire whenever I have no effing idea on what's going on," answered Dom as he scratched the back of his head. He let out a snort with an irritated look and patted his pockets for something, "Damn, I left the page back at my place."

"Why didn't you bring it with you? Isn't it important?" questioned the girl, her eyes narrowed.

"It's been over a month since Peashy went home. How the hell am I supposed to know when these girls pop up and stuff?!"

"I don't know! You're supposed be the smart one!"

"Okay fine, arguing like idiots isn't gonna bring us anywhere," sighed the boy as he leaned on the wall, "Unlike last time's trippy adventure, we'll have to make precautions to keep the same crap from happening again. You know, I've been wondering, why do we always have to go through this over and over? It's just the same crap for the past three months, I don't really know why we should keep at it you know?"

Dia massaged her forehead as she replied, "We've been through this already, Dom. Whine all you want but nothing's going to change. Might as well go with the flow. Besides, what we're doing good, nothing wrong with that."

"I suppose you could say that," agreed Dom as he scratched his head, "Well, we haven't dealt with any other kids aside from Peashy and these two are a whole lot different than that brat. You sure you'll be able to handle them? I'm keeping clear with this since you saw how I did last time."

"Yeah, yeah, you almost tore apart reality. What else is new?" said the brunette with a smirk on her lips, "Classes are going to start in about a week so I won't be able to look after them much but I'll try my best. You could at least try and help out once in a while since your school's still in ashes."

"Don't remind me," grumbled the boy, "I'll do what I can but I'm kind of busy too. I've got an online tutor keeping me up in my studies."

"I see. Don't you know anyone we could leave those two with?" asked Dia.

Thinking for a moment, Dom searched his mind for anyone he could trust. The first person he thought of was his hooded classmate but immediately rejected the idea since it was too dangerous. Leaving the twins with someone like that would be the last thing he would do. Toshio's café might be a good place to leave them but it seemed like that the building the café was under on was currently going renovations, plus that guy's house was within the same building.

He shook his head to say it was a negative, causing the girl to utter a heavy sigh.

"I think we'll have to adjust our schedules," Dia looked as if she had no choice.

Dom nodded in agreement while saying, "Yeah, but it'll mostly fall on you. This month's gonna be hectic with your school and part time job."

"Well whatever," said the girl with a bright smile, "All we have to do is keep an eye on them and it'll be fine. Besides, all we need is to wait for Histoire's Page to gather enough power from those two, right?"

"Will you shut up. You're just tempting whatever twisted bastard that's out there to fuck up our lives," growled the boy in an irritated manner, "I'll be going now and please for the love of all thing's holy, don't you dare touch those two or else I'll have to bail you out. Got it?"

"You make it sound like I'm a horrible person," muttered the brunette as she watched her friend walk down the stairs.

However as Dia was about to follow him, there came a yelp from below followed by a crash. Alarmed, she wasted no time to dash to the scene only to see Dom sprawled at the foot of the stairs with a dazed look on his face. The girl's finger tips touched the wooden railings and immediately felt the cold biting on her skin. Ice, there was ice everywhere.

"What the…" the brunette's words died in her throat as she finally pieced the clues together. She caught sight of a pair of shadows on the ground floor while the sounds of giggling filled the house. It didn't seem like the children were asleep anymore.

"Hah! What an idiot, what kind of person would…. Hehehehe…. _Fall_ from that?" laughed a little girl's voice from within the living room. They even had the time to crack lame jokes.

It didn't take long for another, much softer voice to reply, "That was funny Ram, but I think he's bleeding. Should we get some help?"

"Nah, he'll be alright. Doesn't look like he's dead though," said the first voice.

Dia might've giggled at the situation, however the sight of Dom's body rising up from its prone position immediately caught her attention. It seemed like the perpetrators of the prank he fell victim to also noticed his recovery and had gone silent. Now Dia didn't fear her best friend not even once, but the ominous aura he emitted combined with the false smile on his face really gave her the shivers.

"Uh, hey Dom? T-They're just kids okay? They're not like Neptune who—" the brunette's call came short as the boy jerked his head towards her. Just by looking at his strained smile gave way to his true feelings. He was mad, very much so, and it seemed like the night wasn't going to be allowed to end without blood being shed.

"I know, Dee…." Dom fixed his attention at the people before him, "But I think I'll teach them a lesson on discipline first… Now that they've pissed me off, they're going to be in for the lecture of their lives."

"Are you sure it's just going to be a lecture?" added Dia with a nervous laugh.

"Yeah, just a lecture," hummed the boy as he cracked his neck. He then walked forward with his hands spread to either side of him, "Hey brats, I'd like to welcome you to the Real World."

* * *

_Hello everyone, this is Rom speaking… Um… Uh… I think the proper term would be thinking,_ a sigh escaped the CPU candidate's lips as she sipped her hot chocolate, _You might all be wondering on how I got into this sort of situation right after I just woke up. Please let me explain… Uhh… Well you see a lot of things happened ever since the night we found ourselves in a completely different world. True that we've only been here for two days and two nights but I think Ram's personality is causing a bit of friction with Mister Dom, a friend of the girl who saved us. I think if things continue the way they are then I wouldn't know what to do…_

"HAH! Can't even beat me to the starting point, you'll be going bankrupt now!" yelled Ram, her voice filled with glee.

The sound of a chair being pushed filled the room and Dom slammed his fist on the table, "Don't get too cocky brat, I've still got an ace in my sleeve! So shut your trap and play, dammit!"

_Something like that…_ thought Rom as she sighed once more, _I'm afraid that my sister will be more prone to doing something unbelievable during our stay if she's always like this. Still, I think we have to consider ourselves lucky. Had not Miss Dia found us that fateful afternoon then I don't know what we may be doing. Now that I think of it, she's a whole lot calmer than the other right now…_

The blue clad candidate leaned to look at Dia's composed expression. Despite the heated match she was forced into, it didn't look like she was interested in claiming victory or anything. She just sat on the sofa with her hands on her controller, keeping her eyes fixed on the screen. The boy and Ram were seated just in front of the television, flailing their arms and performing strange poses while playing a racing game.

"YOU'RE DEAD KID!" declared Dom as he pressed a couple of buttons.

The pink clad candidate's crestfallen groan echoed around, "No fair! You used a shell!"

"What goes around comes around. It'll take you eighty years to reach my level, brat!" laughed the boy with a look of satisfaction in his eyes, "I win! The finish line's just around the co—"

His words were cut off as a blue shell shot out of nowhere and hit his car. The silhouette of another vehicle passed his re-spawning character followed by the cheers of the victory theme blared from the stereos. With a dull thud, his controller fell on the floor as he got on his knees, an air of gloom hanging above him.

"B-Blue shell…. Fucking blue shell…." He whispered in a hollow tone.

Rom placed her hot chocolate on the table and clapped her hands, "That was cool, Miss Dia. Right at the last second too!"

"The winner's been decided," said the brunette with a warm smile, "Don't worry, Adrian. What goes around comes around, right?"

"Please die…" muttered Dom as he stared at the screen.

_They're not bad people, just by looking at these two, I know that they can be trusted, _echoed Rom's mind as she took in the scene before her, _They're kind enough to let us stay for the night and provide us with food. Though I have to admit, Mister Dom's really scary when he gets mad. That's saying something especially when I have a big sister like Blanc, but he's a really good person in heart. Ram however…. She may not show it but I think she still has her guard up. I think I can understand where she's coming from, but I hope she just enjoys herself instead of forcing herself like right now… Now that I think of it I—_

"Wah!" the blue clad candidate uttered a yelp as something wet and cold came in contact with her cheek. With a frightened look, her eyes settled upon her sister whom was holding a can of juice in her hand.

"You're having your internal monologue's again, aren't you?" guessed Ram with a sly smile.

"I-I wasn't! Really, i-it's not like that!" said Rom defensively while shuffling her feet.

"Hmph, you're way too open, sis," chuckled the pink clad candidate as she drank her juice. She then turned her attention to the boy's unmoving body on the carpet and gave him a kick, "Hey, wake up! This isn't the time to be wallowing in self-pity! You lost in the dumb game so start explaining!"

A shiver ran throughout Dom's body before he responded, "Please…. One more round… Dia's a cheater… Hax… Hax…"

Blinking in confusion, Ram turned to the brunette in question and asked her, "Is he broken or something?"

"He hates losing. Especially to a complete amateur like me," explained the girl with pitying look at the pathetic figure on the floor.

"Sore loser," muttered the pink candidate.

"That's no good at all, Mister Dom. No good at all," added Rom before drinking the rest of her hot chocolate.

"I don't want to hear that from you brats," grumbled the boy as he got up, "You want answers, huh? Well I'll explain like I've always been doing… Kinda sucks on how I have to do it every single time…"

"Every single time? What do you mean?" asked Ram with an eyebrow raised.

Dom smirked and sat on a chair just beside the sofa and answered her, "Nope, you're not the first Goddesses that wound up in this place. Three so far managed to get stuck here before you two did. Those three girls managed to cause some sort of fiasco whenever they popped up. Cleaning up after their mess is our job and making sure they get back home safely is our responsibility too. Though it's not like that's our permanent occupation, we have no choice but to do it since we're the only ones who can."

"Eh? So what Neptune was babbling about the last few days weren't just made up stories?" said the pink clad candidate with wide eyes.

"She's been talking about us?" asked Dia with a surprised expression, "Nepgear I would understand if she would remember but Neptune's attention span is kind of… low… It's unexpected for her to remember the incident though."

"Hey Dia," called the boy as he gave his friend a bored look, "If somehow you wound up in Gamindustri and managed to get yourself back into this trash dump of a Reality, do you think it'll be easy to forget such a life changing experience?"

"Uh… no?"

"Exactly, you idiot," growled Dom in annoyed manner. With a deep sigh, he then continued, "Well, the people that managed to enter this world so far would be Neptune, Nepgear, Peashy, and that bitch Nepgeo. We've sent them all back but not without some kind of collateral damage… If you two can just behave yourselves then we'll have no problems, got it? The sooner we get you two home, the better."

Rom turned to her sister and excitedly said, "Isn't that great Ram? We'll get to see Blanc and Mina again!"

"Yeah but…" Ram scratched the back of her head before crossing her arms, "I still don't trust this guy."

Dia let out a weird sound that was similar to a mouse squeaking, "W-what? Hold on, I know this rich idiot's really the last person you'll trust but he's not a bad guy, okay?"

"It doesn't mean that I'm not a bad person that you can suddenly put all of your trust on me like that. You're a smart kid," commented Dom with his trademark business smile. Patting is pants, he then stood up and made his way to the door, "You've got a good head on your shoulders, just make sure you don't lose it and regret something."

"Who hold on, where the hell are you going?" questioned the brunette as she grabbed the boy's jacket, "You've got nothing better to do, at least help me out in looking after them!"

"I'm going on an adventure!" explained the boy with a mischievous smile, "I've had enough of the spotlight. Why don't you show them your new scooter, that'll keep them interested. Oh and if anything happens to these two, I'm going to kill you, understand?"

Letting go of his jacket, the girl merely stood rooted to the spot as her friend said his goodbyes. She didn't even get to say a word as he left.

* * *

Ram was stumped. She absolutely despised that cocky look the boy gave her earlier. It was definitely suspicious of him to act that way but why would he say those things? Was he purposely making her aware that something was going to happen? Why did he leave all of a sudden and just what was up with this world? So many questions zipped through the Candidate's head as she tried her best to make sense of everything. All she knew that she was tossed into another world along with her sister and now she had to wait for a few days for the Dimensional Bus to pick them up and send them home.

Easy as pi, it wasn't like anything would bad would happen then, right?

"WRONG!" yelled the pink clad girl as she stood up from her seat.

Startled by the sudden shout, Rom jumped in her seat, "W-W-What's wrong?"

"As if I'd sit down like a good girl and wait for a bad end to happen!" Ram turned to her sister and pointed a finger at her, "And how can you sit there watching magical girl shows without a care in the world! Don't tell me you're fine with us being like this! We need to find a way home!"

"But didn't Mister Dom said that it'll take time for us to go home?" asked the blue clad Candidate while tilting her head.

"And you actually believe him! We still can't trust these people, you know. You're too gullible, Rom," replied the pink clad Candidate as she sat back down on her chair, "Besides… I don't like this… just sitting around doing nothing… It just feels strange and I know that Mister Dom knew more than he let on. I hate not knowing."

Rom scratched her cheek as she glanced at the television before speaking to her sister, "It's okay if you think that way but… They don't seem to be bad people. Miss Dia gave us some food, shelter and clothes. Maybe if we did as we are told, we can pay her back for all of these nice things. Don't you find this familiar, Ram? I think you said that you couldn't trust Nepgear back then just like this."

"That was that! This here is different!" argued Ram while shaking her fists.

"Don't you think you're overthinking this?" suggested the blue clad Candidate before her attention was caught by the show in the television screen, "Ah, he came out of the Titan! I thought he was dead…"

Shaking her head while sighing heavily, the pink clad Candidate silently muttered to herself, "She really needs to learn when to listen."

"Shouldn't you too?"

Ram moved to the side to look at Dia whom was leaning on the back of her chair. The Human girl had a bored expression on her face as she had her eyes fixed on the television screen. The younger girl didn't even notice her presence, was she there the whole time? When the Candidate shot her a frown, the girl merely smiled at back.

"You know, you won't grow up to be pretty if you're always like that. Ease up, will you? I know it can be really weird for the first few days but you'll eventually get used to it," said the brunette as she walked around the sofa before sitting on it, "Enjoy, relax, and leave everything to me. If you can't trust that idiot earlier then you can ask me anything you want. I'm not sure if I can come up with a different answer than his though."

"I have nothing to ask, hmph," replied Ram as she crossed her arms and looked away.

Rom noticed this and tapped her sister on the shoulder, "Please… there's no need to be rude…"

"N-No! It's okay, really. I understand," said Dia with a nervous laugh. In her mind, the girl's thoughts hastily got to work, _Darn… What should I do? Doesn't look like she's going to open up anytime soon… What should I do? I've only played half through V and never encountered these two before… Damn you Dom…._ Putting the blame on her friend once again, she then uttered a sigh as she spoke, "Ugh… Maybe we should play some board games and—"

The brunette's words died in her throat as she took a glance at the twins, only to find out that the two of them had disappeared.

"_Oh and if anything happens to these two, I'm going to kill you, understand?"_

Dom's parting words echoed within Dia's empty mind. Her jaw hung open as she kept her eyes on the areas in which the twins sat on just a moment ago. This was bad… this was really, really bad… Swallowing the lump in her throat, the girl slowly placed a trembling hand on her lips. With dead looking eyes, two words managed to escape her, "I'm dead…"

Her feet then sprang into action as she dashed for the door. Tackling it open, she ran out of her yard and looked around. There was no way those two could've gotten that far. Not to mention that they have no idea what the layout of the area looks like. At this rate, they'll get lost again and Dia will have to phone that idiot who just abandoned her just a couple of hours ago. She had no intention of getting yelled at and be hunted down so contacting that guy was out of the question.

Besides, unlike him, lady luck seemed to favor her.

A crash resounded from the second floor of her house. She then broke into a run and went back inside, crossing the hallway and heading up. Despite how much she likes those kids, they're going to have to sit through a lecture for increasing her heart rate. She could hear noises coming from her bedroom, giving her more reasons to be irritated. She'll have to take note to keep these two away from the house as much as possible.

"Hey you two, you know it's rude to give me a death sentence this early, right?" grumbled Dia as she opened her bedroom door. True enough, she found the twins inside without a scratch on them. The problem was that the two girls were currently under the process of reading what seemed like a very important book. A thin book with the bright shade of pink and red, propped open before them as they sat on the human girl's bed.

Dia felt as if time stood still. The number of seconds which ticked by as she stared at the Candidates seemed uncountable, stretching itself into eternity as she stood rooted on the spot.

Ram stared back at the brunette at the door with wide eyes. If only Rom would've been more careful, they shouldn't have been discovered right away. She could've sworn that this girl just ran outside before her sister made the blunder, how she heard the crashing sound from that distance was a miracle. This weird girl sure was something else.

Now this weird girl in question somehow managed to bypass the awkward stares and break the ice enveloping the atmosphere by asking a simple question, "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," was both twins' simple reply.

Now looking at this from another person's point of view, it would've looked perfectly normal. A simple question given a simple answer. Usually it would've stopped there and everyone would just go back to their daily lives as if nothing had happened. This however was not the case. It wouldn't take an idiot much time to know that the twins are lying or that Dia was anything but happy at that moment, however what was interesting during those zero point one seconds was the time the human girl decided to act.

She lunged with a wild look in her eyes in just a couple of milliseconds following the twins' reply.

Having enough knowledge in combat, the two sisters easily evaded the human missile and retreat to the other side of the room. Ram still had the thin pink book in her hands at the time. Dia rose from her bed and jerked her head to the pink clad Candidate's direction.

The moment the little girl felt the brunette's eyes rest upon her, a cold shiver ran down her spine. Somehow it felt familiar and nostalgic yet the following words which left the human girl's lips sent a wave of fear through her.

"Did you see..?"

Blinking twice, Ram couldn't help but smirk at the way how Dia spoke. Unlike Blanc who would've demolished the entire room just to retrieve something important from her, the brunette merely gazed at her with dead eyes and an ominous aura. However her flushed face betrayed all of these things and revealed her true emotion.

"Um, Ram?" called Rom at her side, "I think we should run now…"

_No,_ thought the pink clad Candidate, _I've got her now. _To answer Dia's haunting question, Ram had read a page of the thin book even if it was just for a few seconds. She knew that, that was all she needed to get away from this predicament. As the brunette stepped down from her bed and began approaching the twins, Ram then opened her mouth and yelled, "Get away from us, you creep!"

Ahh… Six words were enough to cause Dia's pride and world to collapse. So was she the universe's new play toy now? Had it gotten bored of Dom and now wanted to drag this girl into despair? Dia had no answers to these questions. All she knew was that something precious broke within her.

Rom on the other hand was curious as to why her sister had said that. Once she expressed her curiosity, Ram then executed another attack by flipping the book open and stopping at a certain page and showing it for her sister to see, "Look, Rom! Miss Dia made doodles of us! She really got your sleeping face right!"

_**CRACK**_

Strike three for Dia's heart. This was going from bad to worse so fast it was pathetic to watch.

* * *

Dragging her feet along, the brunette couldn't help but groan and hit her head on a nearby pole. This wasn't working out the way she thought it would. It was only past twelve in the afternoon yet it felt like she had been awake for more than twenty four hours. Dom and a few people at school said that her energy was limitless in the past but these twins were no joke. It was kind of fun to watch them run around like this. She planned on heading to her part time job as per her usual routine and decided that leaving the two girls at home would be a death wish if Dom ever found out so she took them along with her.

This should be a good chance for them to see how this world worked compared to theirs. At any rate, she'll have to keep them on a short leash to avoid any accidents from occurring. Dom may have never cared much for the past Goddesses that fell under them but with Dia's tendencies aside, the way he casually warned her sent shivers down her spine. He didn't actually mean that, right? Now that she thought about it, she should've been the one who said that line.

With a heavy sigh, the girl rubbed her head and resumed her walk. It seemed like the twins' attention was caught by a pair of birds singing in their nest.

"Hey, if you two aren't moving then I'll leave you here," she said as she passed by them. The two girls straightened up and jogged to her side. Rom waved goodbye to the birds as they left the residential area. It turned out that the blue clad Candidate had a bad experience with trains from what Ram explained when Dia made their way to the station, forcing them to take the longer route to the brunette's work place.

The long walk was mostly quiet until Rom lifted her finger and pointed up ahead, "Look at that! It looks just like that other Blanc's Basilicom. It's all tall and pretty too."

"Wow, I never knew you can see that far. Is it that big? Why can't I see it too?" complained Ram as she crossed her arms while pouting.

Amused by this, Dia then tapped her on the shoulder and asked, "Do you want me to pick you up?"

"I'm not a kid you know? Stop treating me like I am one," huffed the pink clad Candidate as she walked up ahead. She then came to a halt and turned around, a smirk on her lips a she mocked the brunette, "Besides, how could you pick me up with those kind of arms? I bet that they'll give out before you can even lift me."

"Um… Ram? Are you saying that you're heavy?" suggested the blue clad Candidate with an awkward smile.

"Heavy? Don't worry; I think I can pick her up just fine so there's no need to worry," replied the Human girl with a smile of her own. Unbeknownst to her though, Ram's shoulders began to tremble as she caught on to what she just said. Stomping towards the brunette with her face red with embarrassment, the pink clad Candidate slowly broke into a run and tackled Dia without warning.

She then grabbed the dazed girl by the collar and began shaking her like no tomorrow, "I'm not heavy! Take that back! I didn't mean that! Big meanie, I hate you! I hate you, I hate you , I hate you!"

"R-Ram please calm down!" cried Rom as she attempted to pry her sister off their friend.

"It's…okay….R-Rom. I can take it! I can take it!" said Dia as her head repeatedly bounce on the ground. Ram only ceased her assault once she had calmed down, standing up and walking ahead leaving behind a barely conscious Dia.

Rom crouched beside the fallen Human and released a weary sigh, "Please bear with her, she's just getting used to all of this… She isn't usually like that… I'll try talking to her later."

The brunette sat up like nothing happened and only rubbed the back of her head before taking a good look at her hand. It didn't seem like the other twin hit her that hard on the pavement to cause injuries. Turning to the blue clad Candidate, she then said in an assuring tone, "It's okay, really. It didn't look like she was hitting me to injure. I think she's trying to get a point across, you know?"

"I'm really sorry about this…" apologized Rom as she slumped her shoulders.

"I guess I'll name you tape recorder if you keep on repeating that. You gotta admit though, that girl's a handful," commented Dia as she stood up and brushed her skirt. Giving the Candidate beside her a pat on the head she then ran ahead to catch up with the other one.

Ram stood up ahead with her arms crossed as she tapped her foot on the ground. With an irritable look she then lashed out on the two latecomers, "You're going to be late now! We better hurry if you don't want to get fired."

"Sorry, but you were just walking a bit faster than us. Rom had to catch her breath," explained the brunette as she looked back to the arriving Candidate. Turning her attention back to the one clad in pink, she then added, "Make sure you don't ever leave your sister behind. Stick together no matter what happens and make sure you don't do what you did earlier to her, okay?"

Puffing her cheeks as she averted her eyes, Ram then sighed in defeat, "Fine…"

"I bet Ram will find me even when I'm lost. We're twins after all," said Rom as she went to her sister's side.

"So you two have telepathic connection or something?" guessed Dia with her eyebrows raised. She had never met real life twins before so she was curious if such phenomena did exist. These girls were video game characters at first but they were the closest people she knew to twins so it was worth a shot.

"Telepathic? Isn't that where you can speak without opening your mouth?" Rom asked back with a thoughtful look on her face.

"And it goes with a connection with Rom and I? I don't think so. I can never speak to her without opening my mouth or anything. On the other hand, I can feel if she's in danger or something," said Ram not missing beat.

"It must be a natural ability for twins then. It seems fascinating," concluded the brunette with a nervous laugh.

The pink clad Candidate's face formed a smug smile as she said, "Yeah! We'll try and see if we can communicate with each other without speaking at all! Hey Rom, let's try practicing when we get back later."

"O-O-Okay," replied the blue clad Candidate, a little taken aback by her sister's energy. She was surprised that her sibling could still go on for this long even after they've walked for about an hour and a half non-stop. Dia didn't show any sign of weariness either and merely continued her normal pace. Compared to her sister's energy and the Human's daily routine, Rom felt like she would collapse only to resist it to keep up with the two. This world sure was cruel sometimes. If only she didn't have that accident in the train. Somehow just thinking about it made her dizzy.

"Hm, let's talk about something else then," suggested Dia, "We still have a long way to go so why don't we chat a bit to kill some time. Putting our minds on something else will help us in our endurance."

"Do you always walk this far every time you have a job?" asked Ram as she leaned forward to look at the Human girl's face, "Looks like you're not as boring as you look."

Letting out a nervous laugh, the brunette scratched her cheek as she said, "W-Well, not every time but enough for me to get used to it. There are some times that paying for the transportation fee could be a hassle since the money I have isn't enough. This was supposed to be the last time I'm taking the train though ever since I bought my scooter, but I'll make an exception by showing you two around."

"Um, Miss Dia? Can you tell us more about that huge building earlier? Why did it have trees with pink leaves on around it? Isn't it strange?" piped up Rom.

"Ah, you mean the royal palace? I suppose that Japan's royal family lives there but that's all I know. I've never paid much attention to Japanese history back in my school anyway. Despite the royal family still existing, Japan's main political leader would be the prime minister. Still, that family still has a powerful influence in the country today," explained Dia as she was deep in thought. She then turned to the twins and asked in turn, "What about your place? You must be treated like some kind of noble blood because you're the sisters of a Goddess, right? Isn't it fun?"

Ram huffed as she crossed her arms with a smug look on her face, "Of course it is! We get to play around this huge mansion where we can do whatever we want. We only need to be quite sometimes so we don't disturb Blanc's work. She can get real scary when she's mad. Still, it's not like we care though, right Rom?"

"Yes," answered her sister, "Mina always looks after the country for Blanc whenever she has work to do in some other place."

"Mansion, huh?" repeated the brunette with a smile.

"Bet you didn't get in a mansion once in your life, huh?" guessed the pink clad candidate.

"Ah, no. The place where I grew up was actually a mansion too. I had to live with a whole lot other kids though so it wasn't really that boring," replied Dia as she looked up ahead, "Say… You two don't ever get lonely, right? Living in a huge place like that. Would be nice if a few friends came over to play, right?"

"Nepgear and Uni visit us sometimes," pointed out the blue clad candidate, "We usually stick together when our sisters are busy. It's really fun."

"That and we can play pranks on those two love birds to our heart's content," added Ram with a wide grin on her face, "It really helps that we know our own house like the back our hands. I think the best stunt we've pulled so far was that time when Uni walked into Gear in the –"

"Okay, okay, too much information," laughed the Human girl. Just thinking of Nepgear being in that kind of situation was enough to make Dia chuckle. She had an idea on what Uni would be like and what her reaction was when that moment happened. Taking a glance at the twins, she was surprised on how clever and energetic these two could be in their age. She then clapped her hands as she spoke, "It must be nice living in Gamindustri. I wonder if I'll ever get the chance to tour that world."

"Does this world suck that much?" asked the pink clad candidate, "It's boring, I can tell, but I don't get it why you could… be so much like yourself despite all of this. Your friend too…"

"Huh?" Dia seemed genuinely confused at the little girl's words, "What do you mean by that?"

A tug at her side turned her attention to Rom whom was looking up to her as she spoke, "Ram's wondering why you two stand out so much in this world."

The three of them came to a halt before a pedestrian crossing with a number of people around them. There were teenagers hanging out with their friends, office workers checking on their phones and watches for the time, every day people going about their lives, yet the Human girl could never fathom why she would ever stand out in a crowd like this. These people had varying origins and different futures yet she silently asked herself on what made her special to have those words uttered to her.

Shaking her head, she reminded herself not to get ahead with her thinking. She had no redeeming qualities and was by all means and purposes: plain. There was nothing noteworthy about her at a first glance. It was like she was one of those people one would glance at and forget about a second later. She had always considered herself as that. She wondered if Dom ever felt that way.

The walk sign turned green and the crowd moved across the street.

"That's impossible," chuckled Dia.

* * *

Trucks and cars drove by just outside the bakery as the sun slowly climbed up the sky. The door would usually emit a jingling sound as a customer entered the shop. It was quiet save for the sounds coming from the television on the nearby cashier in which a long haired little girl was busy observing. She was so engrossed in the show that she was watching that she didn't notice her stomach rumble loudly. It was only when a warm yet soft object pressed itself against her cheek did she rip her attention away from her anime.

"W-What are you—" her yelp as cut off as a piece of bread was shoved into her mouth. Choking a bit, the girl opened her mouth wide enough before beginning to chew on her food. By the end of the ordeal, she was breathing hard as she sent a glare at a certain Human girl.

"Can't have you going hungry now, can't I?" chuckled Dia before walking right before a door and peeking her head inside. Ram could clearly hear her say, "Oi, manager! The girl liked the buns! It should be good to go."

Finally swallowing down her food, the pink clad candidate crossed her arms with a huff as she complained, "That…. Don't do that again…"

"Well, it was delicious, wasn't it?" asked the brunette as she turned her gaze to the entrance of the shop, "Still… Even with that standing out there, we really aren't getting enough customers."

"I still think it's a bad idea dressing Rom in cat ears and one of those frilly aprons over her normal clothes. It doesn't make any sense," said Ram as she narrowed her eyes to see her sister fidget around and look suspiciously from left to right while holding up a sign board.

"After going into Dom's room all the time, I always thought men were into this kind of thing," sighed Dia as she scratched the back of her head, "Guess I need more research. Moe hasn't really been faring well these days. Maybe people just prefer the spunky type like you."

"You're an idiot aren't you?"

"H-H-Hehehe, s-so what if I am?"

The two girls' attention was then taken by the sound of the front entrance jingling. They found Rom approaching the counter and immediately collapse on a chair just beside it. Compared to her sister and the Human girl's stamina, standing outside in the sun for more than an hour felt draining. She had no idea how Ram could stand for more than two hours outside while gathering a handful of customers, all while keeping a straight smile on her face. It turned out that Rom bit more than she could chew by acting stubborn. She really wasn't cut out for that kind of job, at least not for extended periods of time.

"Good job, Rom! You can have this. Take a rest since you two have done enough for the day," said Dia as she handed the blue clad candidate a water bottle. Leaning forward to glance at the little girl's face, she then proceeded to ask, "You were out there for quite a while. Did you have fun?"

"Yes. It was… fun…" gasped the blue clad candidate between gulps of water.

With a worried look on her face, Ram said, "Just don't push yourself too much, okay?"

"It's okay, Ram," assured Rom with a smile before spacing out for a moment, "Purupuru Pururin, Puru Pururin… Purupuru Pururin, Pururin… Mahou Shojo…."

"W-W-Whoa! Get a hold of yourself, sis!" cried the pink clad candidate in alarm. She vaulted over the counter and placed her hands on both of her sister's shoulders. She then shook her sister back and forth so as to pull her back to her senses. Somehow the way her sibling acted was similar to the effects of a few monster's attacks back in Gamindustri. To put it in terms that she was familiar with, it was like a status ailment. That was why she took the most logical step to counter it: Gather enough energy to blast her sister with healing magic.

The air around her began to hum with energy while the wind seemed to pick up, causing the racks and various merchandises to move in their racks. As the amount of power escalated, Dia was dumbstruck for a moment before regaining movement of her body. She acted appropriately before anything blew up.

"Hey, no magic in the store!" yelled the brunette as she grabbed the pink clad candidate's shoulder. The moment her hand touched the girl, a strange sensation ran throughout her body. Ram didn't seem to notice this, but the other girl's action was enough to make her cancel out her spell.

"What's the big idea. I was just trying to help Rom, "complained the candidate while pointing at her sister who just fell asleep. The frown on her face quickly vanished the moment she saw the look of alarm on the Human girl's face. In a more serious tone she asked, "What's wrong?"

Dia blinked twice and forced a smile on her face, "Everything's alright… Don't worry… But seriously, you can't and must absolutely not use your powers in public under any circumstances. Got it? Please don't do that again."

"A-Alright…" stuttered Ram as she kept her eyes fixed on her friend.

"Okay then. I'll get the manager lady to put your sister to rest. In the meantime, would you please get these ingredients?" asked the brunette as she took out a piece of paper from her apron's pocket, "It has a map so I doubt you'll get lost. Just be careful though. If anyone tries to do anything weird to you, then you can freeze them or blast them away. Just don't use your powers for anything unnecessary okay?"

"I understand," mumbled the pink clad candidate as she glanced at her sister, "Will she be alright?"

"She's in good hands," assured Dia with a smile.

The little girl looked at the Human girl and gave her a resolute nod. She turned around to walk out the entrance as she read the various ingredients she was tasked to get. With the door jingling as the candidate went out, a heavy sigh escaped Dia's lips as she finally left.

She turned her attention on the sleeping girl beside her and carried her in her arms. Rom had such a peaceful look on her face as she slept, therefore causing the Human girl to be extra careful on not to wake her up. Doing so would be a grave sin. She made her way behind the counter and opened a door leading to room similar to a family's home. There she caught sight of the old lady that owned the bakery she was working in putting down a stack of boxes at a corner.

For a woman nearing her seventies, it was a surprise to see the manager carry such a heavy load. She noticed Dia enter the room and her kind aged face adopted a concerned expression as she saw the sleeping child within her employee's arms. Out of curiosity, she asked, "Is everything alright, Dia?"

"It's nothing. This girl was just a little too enthusiastic about working. Say, can she rest up here for a few hours? Leaving her asleep on a stool just doesn't seem right," replied the brunette as she entered the room.

"I see. Will here do?" the manager gestured to a nearby sofa facing a kotatsu before a television set. She watched as the Human girl placed the sleeping candidate on the sofa after she finished fixing the boxes' positions. Turning to face her employee, she said, "It's a surprise though, for you to be bringing in kids like these and having fun. If I remember correctly, kids tended to dislike you."

"I guess that's in the past," laughed Dia as she stretched her arms, "Besides it's a good experience for them. They're from out of town you see, so I wanted to let them see how life in Tokyo could be."

"Country girls, hm? Just don't overexert yourself. You're already working part time here and there's your school opening next week. No need to take more jobs than you should. If anyone should be working, it's that idiot you always hang out with," said the old lady as she crossed her arms.

The brunette responded with an amused snort, "Right… I'll get to yelling at him later on. Ah, that's right! Manager, thank you for letting these kids stay here. I just can't leave them at home you see and the idiot's not helping me out one bit. Sorry for the trouble…"

"Like I said just don't take too many jobs at once," reminded the manager as she passed by the girl, "I'll be taking over the cashier. You can stay here and take a break."

"Thank you!" said Dia gratefully as the old lady closed the door. Once the manager was gone, the Human girl's expression fell as she focused on that feeling she experienced just a little while ago. Taking a seat just beside Rom's feet, Dia crossed her arms as she sorted out her thoughts.

That sensation when she touched Ram just before she casted the healing spell. It felt like it was being… sent to her. Back then, the pink clad candidate looked like she was prepared to release the spell when it was cancelled all of a sudden. Dia was under the impression that it couldn't be stopped since it looked it was about to reach its peak, yet the moment she touched the girl, the spell disappeared. A CPU's power couldn't be easily broken by just being surprised.

And then there was the other thing she noticed. After Ram calmed down and sent away her staff, the brunette saw how she suddenly turned transparent for just a moment. The symptoms of Share Deprivation were beginning to surface and a week hasn't even gone by yet. Could it be that the twins were performing magic by using their energy before she even found them? Then again, it looked as if they were wandering around the city for quite a while before she spotted them and learned their identities.

There was that incident at the restaurant too. Ram showed no hesitation in using magic when she got irritated. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea sending her out to the market after all.

A sigh escaped her lips as she turned to look at the sleeping girl right beside her. Her eyes went wide as she stifled a gasp when Rom's body looked on the brink of disappearing. A look of discomfort flashed across the candidate's face before relaxing as her body returned to normal.

Dia bit her lip as she reached within her pocket and pulled out her phone. She then dialed the number of the person who could help her, "Dom it's me. Where are you? I… I see… Come back as soon as possible. It's starting."

* * *

It didn't take Ram that long to find the store in which she would buy the ingredients for the bakery. The map given to her was really useful and it only took her fifteen minutes to reach her destination. Right now, she was quietly swinging her plastic bag filled with flour and sugar as she walked at the side of the street. She didn't like how Rom looked when she left but maybe leaving her with Dia wouldn't be such a bad idea. Nothing good will come off by exhausting her power over something that could be treated easily.

She really wished that she could go back home to where her big sister was so that her mind could be at ease. Ever since she woke up into this strange world, she never had a moment's peace whenever she was alone. However whenever she was with Rom, she felt like she could take on anything. Seeing her sibling weakened and fatigued like that really made her worry. And then there was Dia. Ram didn't know what to feel about her. That girl showed nothing but smiles and kind words, it was unsettling. The candidate didn't know how to act around her.

Rom seemed to fully trust her so she was probably okay. One could never be too careful though; despite all the kind graces they have received there was the chance of her being a bad person.

She blinked twice as a thought flashed across her mind. Looking at her left hand, she wondered when she became so untrusting of people. She wasn't like in the past yet why… Was it because she wanted to protect Rom? Was it because she was transported into a world she has no knowledge of?

"Or is it because I'm scared..?" she muttered to herself as she crossed the street. The sounds of laughter caught her attention and made her face to her left. There were a group of boys and girls of the same age as her all wearing similar outfits according their genders. They seemed to be leaving what looked like a school building and were making their way home. She could easily imagine herself as one of them while being accompanied by Nepgear, Uni, and Rom.

That' right… This distrust she had for strangers…. It was just like back then… Back when Blanc was still in the hands of the ASIC. She couldn't trust anyone but Mina and Rom while harboring hate and dislike for Nepgear. In the past, she didn't trust Planeptune's Candidate one bit and often came off as unreasonable to Nepgear and the others. It took her quite a while to open her heart to strangers back then. Could she really continue in acting this way with every single person she met?

Dia was kind and that boy, Dom, humored her with a game. It was so strange to see that those two felt like the only true beings living in this gray world. The other individuals she encountered and met all felt hollow and empty. Those two looked and acted ordinary according to the Real World's standards yet something about them made them stick out like a sore thumb.

It was definitely strange…

"We'll see you tomorrow!"

"Take care!"

The Candidate's attention was taken by a couple of girls seeing each other off as they went separate directions. She slowly began to wonder what it would be like inside a school constructed in this world. Was it any different to the ones built in Gamindustri? Just how different was this world? Everybody here lived just as the people in Lowee did, though unlike Ram's homeland, the people of this city seemed bored of everything and there wasn't anything they could do about it.

She then realized that she was idling about for more than three minutes so she panicked a bit before walking back on track. Bumping into a boy wearing an indigo jacket, Ram almost lost her balance had she not been careful enough. She patted her dress before apologizing for hitting him, "Sorry, I wasn't looking."

"No worries. Just be ready though," said the boy as he passed her.

The girl stood rooted on the spot as she heard those words. When she turned around to call out to him, the boy was already gone. She could've sworn she heard someone chuckle. He disappeared all of a sudden without leaving a trace. Confused, Ram rubbed her head to clear her mind. The heat was getting to her and was messing up with her imagination. Walking briskly back to the bakery, she wasted no time standing around anymore.

Her walk gradually went faster and faster until she broke into a full run. She could hear her heart beat pounding against her ears yet she didn't understand why. It felt like something was constricting her throat as she ran… this heavy feeling. She kept on running yet it was like she couldn't feel her legs anymore. Why was she running in the first place? Was it because of this strange sensation she was experiencing? It didn't make any sense, it wasn't like this until a moment ago.

Ram increased her speed with a little help from her powers yet just as her body began to glow, she noticed something different about herself. Her hands and feet, she could see through them. She came at a halt right in front of the bakery's glass doors, her own reflection staring right back at her. Her body was disappearing. It was like she was seeing herself as a ghost.

"What's happening to me?" she whispered to herself in a quiet tone.

Opening the entrance open, she burst into the shop with all she had. Passing by the manager whom was busy tidying up the front rack, she left her groceries at the counter and made her way to the back door. Rom… She had to see Rom… If this was happening to her body then there's the chance that Rom too was experiencing the same… She needed answers…

"Rom are you oka—" Ram's sentence fell short as Dia's voice reached her first.

"She doesn't know yet, no, none of them do," said the brunette as she spoke to someone, "If this goes on, then they're going to end up like the others. I need you back here, Adrian. We need to send them there before it gets out of hand. You know what happened to Peashy, right? Do you want something like that to happen again?"

_What… is this?_

"Ram's already showing symptoms. Who knows when Rom will start too. What I'm afraid is that it's progressing faster than those in the past. It's because they kept on using their powers which only sped up their degradation. I already warned Ram not to use it unless necessary but I don't think that'll be enough to keep her from performing anymore magic."

_What is she saying?_

"I know. I'll be careful. You're going to ask Histoire again? No? What do you mean you can't use the Page?! You idiot! Ugh, fine. But you need to get here quick, you got that? I don't know how long I can keep this up. Maybe we should've warned them this morning. It's dangerous for them to be here…"

_I don't understand…_

"Rom's body is shifting back and forth and I don't know why. The longer they stay here, the more Shares they lose. They'll eventually die…"

_I don't want to die…_

Dia turned around as she sighed, speaking to the phone she had on her right ear, "Two days… I'm giving you two days to wrap up whatever beef you have with your father. Make sure you come back or else it's your blood I'll be hunting, got that?"

"What do you mean we're going to die?" asked Ram as she went inside the room, her left hand clenched into a fist.

The Human girl jumped in surprise and turned around, only to find the CPU Candidate glaring at her, "R-Ram?"

"Liar... You said we were in good hands…" averting her eyes, the pink clad candidate had a pained look on her face as she continued, "Why did you lie?"

"Ah… um, you see, it wasn't our intention so…" Dia was didn't like how Ram was clenching her fist. If she were Dom then it would've been easy for her to direct the little girl's attention to somewhere else. But that wasn't that case, she was never the best talker around. If only she had warned these two earlier then Ram's trust wouldn't have shattered this easily. She also made a mental note not to talk out loud next time.

Taking a deep breath, the brunette prepared herself to make an explanation on the fly, "Ram, please understand since this is going to be a long sto—"

"Let me help!"

Blinking twice in surprise, the Human girl could only tilt her head in confusion, "H-Huh?"

"I don't understand why you lied about taking care of us, I don't understand why you hid something important for us, and I have no idea why this is all happening to me, but please! Please let help Rom! I don't want her to disappear! I can't… I can't go back if anything happens to her!" cried Ram as she stomped her feet, "I'm scared… I'm scared that she'll disappear… I'm scared of vanishing too but I won't care if Rom stays safe. Please… Let me help… If I'm not allowed to use my powers then fine… I don't care, just please take care of Rom…"

"You're not… mad?" asked Dia as she held her breath. There was no telling what a Goddess could do when under severe mental strain. Her thoughts went back to Peashy going berserk in the middle of a street.

She felt the hair at the back of her neck stand as the pink clad candidate stomped towards her and grabbed her collar, pulling her to down to her level. Her bright brown eyes met with Ram's blue ones as the little girl spoke, "I'm mad. I'm really, really mad… in fact, I wanna trap you in an ice block right here, right now!"

The brunette felt the girl's grip loosen as she knelt on the floor. Keeping her hands on the Human girl's skirt, she breathed heavily as she continued to say, "But… This isn't the time to be mad… I just want know… If we could really trust you… Miss Dia… We're putting ourselves in your care…"

"Hey!" Dia caught the pink clad candidate as she suddenly lost consciousness. A wave of worry enveloped her for a moment when she couldn't wake the little girl up. No matter how hard she shook her, Ram wouldn't wake up. It was only when the Candidate showed a blissful look on her face did the brunette let out a sigh of relief.

"Is something the matter, Dia? Oh my, what happened? Is everything alright?" said the manager as she entered the room. She knelt down and to have a look on Ram's face before standing up again, "I was curious as to why this girl ran all the way here. She had a terrified look on her face."

Brushing the hair off the little girl's face, the brunette looked up as she replied, "This kid's just a bit of a worrywart. It's nothing serious."

"Well if everything's alright, then you don't mind me driving you back to your house? Carrying them home would be hard even for you, my dear," suggested the old lady.

"Thank you," responded Dia just before the manager exited the room. She turned her attention back at the sleeping girl and released a tired sigh, "You had me worried there… I would've understood if you blew the room apart since you were mad… I just keep making blunders left and right… I'm an idiot…"

* * *

_Nicolas Notes:_

_Right you are, my dear. Greetings everyone, as much as i would love to stay and chat, I'm running on borrowed time so I shall make this quick. There sure are a few references here which will reflect on what anime I have been watching. i sure missed inserting them here and there, it was fun. Speaking of fun, I had a lot of fun writing the first half of this chapter._

_Can't say much about the second half since it left a bad taste in my mouth. I tried fixing and altering it as best as I can and this is the final product from all of those drafts I sent to hell. I have a lot of things to finish now that my mind's clear of worry so I'll be back before you know it. Ah, and Innocent Regret's finale is just around the corner. Just throwing that out there._

_As always, feel free to point out my mistakes and errors. If there are any inconsistencies and the like, I'll be glad to hear you guys out. _

_Ugh, morale is still at an all time low. I'll be counting on you guys for support._

_Thank you for taking your time in reading this story. Until next time!_

_Yahoo~_


	14. Chapter 14: Discord

Here she was again, drowning in the purple ooze. This scene has becoming more and more frequent every time she slept. This has been going on for weeks yet it still hasn't ended. The same nightmare haunted her whenever she went to bed. She thought that if she was with her sister then everything would be alright. She thought that if she held her sister close whenever she slept then the bad dreams would go away.

She was wrong.

She called out for Rom, for Blanc, for Mina, for Nepgear, to anybody that would save her. It unfortunate that she would have to live through seeing the visions once more. Her body felt light yet she lost the ability to breathe. She could see her limbs flailing about as she struggled to pull herself out of the liquid. She would swim with all her might only to find out that all her efforts were for nothing. There was no escaping what was to come. She felt scared; she didn't know what to do. She wanted to look away.

Yet the man in black forced her to look forward.

A mysterious man whom she did not recognize. She couldn't make out his appearance other than his silhouette yet something about that person made her skin crawl. She could see him floating a few feet away from her, not even fazed by the lack of oxygen. He merely stayed there, staring at her judging by the angle of his head.

For what seemed like the seventy eighth time she had this nightmare, she watched him point into the darkness, wordlessly urging her to look. She knew what she would see there and she was afraid. She did not wish to see it anymore. Fate, however, had other ideas.

It felt like invisible hands were wrapping themselves around her head, causing her to jerk her head forward. Before she knew it, she had lost control of her body; it was as if she was being possessed by something. It was always like this, she had no strength to fight back no matter what she thought or did. In the end, she would have to witness…

Deep in the dark abyss, orange eyes looked back at her. Blinking out of existence, she braced herself as an arrow pierced her.

Through her mind's eye, the vision began to play. She saw a deserted city, light from the heavens, her sister and the other CPUs, and the descent of a being from the place she could only recognize as Celestia. She wanted to scream yet she had no voice. She wanted to fight yet she had no strength. It was scary and she had no power to resist. She didn't understand why she kept seeing these things.

She heard voices all around yet she didn't understand a single word they uttered. Everything was going too fast, spinning too fast, she felt like passing out.

That was until the world was bathed in light. She knew she had come to the end of her nightmare. It always ended like this, a bright blue light as she was taken out of the purple ooze. That person whom extended a gloved hand at her. Even if it was just a dream, she felt as if the nausea was real. That was why she always had great difficulty seeing that person's face. That person had the answers to her questions, she just… had… to reach h—

And then Ram woke up.

* * *

Dom sat at the dining table as he looked out the window. A yawn escaped his lips before lifting up his coffee mug and taking a sip. Within an instant, he felt like his mind was on high alert and that he could take in every minute detail of his surroundings. He began to tap his free hand on the table while he bore an expressionless face. He may not be showing it but his mind was running on overdrive mode.

It took six seconds before the rush and adrenalin ebbed away and he was back to his normal state. Another yawn left him followed by a heavy sigh. He casually breathed a curse as he rested his head on his palm. Boring, that would be the best thing that would be able to describe his life. Despite that, he liked it this way. It gave him a nostalgic feel similar to before he got caught up in the mess he found himself in. Turning his attention back at the table, he wrote a three kanji word on his crossword puzzle, only that it had a whole different character from the system the Japanese used.

The characters he placed within the boxes were different from the English alphabet or anything that resembled Earth symbols.

Tapping a finger on his cheek, his eyes focused on the second piece of paper just beside his crossword puzzle. To the naked eye, it would seem like an ordinary all-purpose typewriting paper that one would be able to purchase anywhere. To the boy however, he could see the faint outline of a purple glow on its edges and that was just the tip of the iceberg.

Speaking for the first time in ten minutes, the male protagonist asked, "Histoire, what's the Loweeian six letter word for 'competition'?"

It would've appeared comical if someone were to see him speaking to nobody in particular; however that was not the case. The piece of paper began to glow much brighter than before as the strange symbols he had been writing wrote itself on the smooth surface as if guided by an invisible hand.

Glancing at the response, Dom let out a snort, "That, huh?"

He was only stopped from answering the puzzle when he heard someone fall from the stairs. Out of sheer curiosity, he made his way from the kitchen and into the main hall. He came at a halt at the foot of the stairs and crouched down, poking the dazed form of a little girl dressed in pink pajamas.

"Sleep walking, huh?" muttered the boy just as the girl looked up and rubbed her head. In reaction to this, Dom greeted her in perfect monotone, "Good morning. Remind me next time to tie you down when you sleep. It's been the third time this week…"

"Food… Cook… Rom's…Dying…" moaned Ram as she tugged on the boy's pants. She paused for a moment before letting out a muffled question, "Where's Dia?"

"I stuffed her in the fridge. I'm going to sell you off into a far off country now," lied Dom just to see what the girl's reaction would be.

"Good… I'm sick of this world anyway…" mumbled the CPU Candidate dejectedly, "Just take care of Rom for me…"

Smirking at the response, the boy replied, "You're in a good mood. Get up, breakfast's been cooked and all I have to do is heat it. Your sister will come down if she's hungry."

"You're not going to get her?" questioned Ram before letting out a huge yawn.

"Not my job. Just wait until you hear someone falling down the stairs," said the male protagonist as he walked back to the kitchen. Giving him a suspicious look, the girl waited for him to disappear in the corner before rising to her feet.

She did a couple stretches before scratching her back. Looking back at the wooden stairs she fell from, she was surprised that she didn't feel the slightest pain. Maybe she should've left her buffs off when she was asleep. A flash of pain went through her mind for a second before fading. She almost forgot about _that_ too. Just when she was about to live the day peacefully.

Ram then went to the kitchen feeling more tired than usual. She just arrived in time to hear the microwave ring, cue for the boy to take out the pre-packed breakfast Dia had made before she left. Sitting down on her chair, she let out another yawn before hitting her head on the table with a dull thud.

Placing her meal in front of her, Dom said, "Order up for the spoiled princess. Get it while it's hot."

"I wanna go home…" mumbled the Candidate as she stared at her food. Sitting up straight, she grabbed her fork and ate her meal. Turning her head to face the boy, she said, "It sucks."

"I know," agreed the boy as he ate his share. It was then that he remembered his crossword puzzle lying just next to the little girl's plate. Swallowing down his meal, he pointed his finger at the puzzle and asked, "Hey, can you look over that thing if it's correct?"

"Hm? Confused at first, Ram slowly turned her attention to her side before choking on her food. Dom watched her hack and cough as he handed her a glass of water which she grabbed and drank in just three seconds. Breathing hard now fully awake, the Candidate stood up from her seat and jabbed her finger at Dom's direction, "How'd you do this? You're not supposed to know this!"

"I've been writing those things for the past few days. They're just Lowee's alphabet, right?" the boy continued to eat as he spoke, thus making his words seem muffled.

"These are magic runes! Lowee's magic runes and they're really tough to understand!" replied the Candidate as she looked back and forth between the male protagonist and the symbols on the paper, "No way a human like you could know these stuff!"

"Blame Histoire, she's the one who messed up my head," said Dom as he pulled out the Page. He waved it around until it emitted a faint purple glow. Ram's eyes only widened the moment she saw the piece of paper, she could feel the familiar energy which was usually present back in her world.

"Tell me! Tell me now!" demanded the little girl, clenching her fists.

"Aw, geez, will you shut up? It's not that important anyway. My mind just went haywire back when I first came in contact with this thing," waving the page a bit, the boy continued, "This is a piece of Histoire's Page that came with Neptune when she first came here. This is a real life version of a plot device! A convenient one too. If you want to get back to your world then you're going to need this thing… and me, I guess. When I first got it, it crammed all sorts of information into my brain and here I am now. This is one of the few things I could make sense of while I needed to get a detailed explanation from Histoire about the other things I discovered."

Staring at him in awe, Ram asked in a weak voice, "Then… you can read Loweeian runes? Hold on a sec! You said you can speak with Planeptune's Oracle! How exactly?"

"Do you want me to call her now and tell her how much of an insufferable brat you are?" shot back Dom.

"Eep!" the Candidate had no intention of listening to the book entity's lectures. Even a prankster such as herself knew that there were people that she wasn't allowed to cross. Thinking fast, she decided to divert the topic into something else, "if it's like that, then you can do magic."

"What?"

"Don't you know? Lowee's the country with the highest concentration of magical power. There's a lot of magicians living there because of that. Blanc even built a school for these people to go to a few years back," explained Ram as she thought back.

"No, no, no. That's general knowledge for me, but what was that about me and magic?" asked the boy, half-expectant while half skeptical.

"A normal guy like you that's got zero magical talent since you're not even a native of Lowee has no chance of learning beyond a certain limit. But yes, you can do magic, even if it's lame," answered the Candidate as bluntly as she could.

Dom felt his eyebrow twitch at that and continued, "Alright, why doesn't Compile Heart explain these kind of things in the games?"

"Compile what?"

"Never you mind. So these rune things can even let a guy like me do some magic tricks, huh?"

"Though it'll be better if you chant the spells that your body would be able to power. The most you could probably do would be to push and pull objects."

…

"That's it?"

"Ha! Were you expecting to do something cool like I could? Fat chance!"

Ram went back to her meal and completely ignored the boy. Dom couldn't help but feel annoyed at the girl's attitude. It was to be expected however, he couldn't expect less from a legit magician. Still, he had his doubts, which was why he glanced at the Page and called out to its main body with his mind.

_Was it all true?_

_**Indeed. Though you didn't have to threaten her like that, I would've loved to speak with her. I can tell that she's troubled right now, maybe it would be better for her to hear a familiar voice for once.**_

Reading the words etched on the paper, the boy let out a sigh as he replied back, _Sorry, but I guess that chance's out now. She's not opening her heart yet but it'll be soon enough. Also, do you know the success rate for me to be able to do magic?_

_**Less than 0.5%. I think it would be better not to think about it right now. From the looks of it, there is no chance whatsoever—**_

_Stop crushing my hopes and dreams! I will do a damn magic trick even if it's the last thing I do! _

_**I'm sorry, I'm sorry—ababababababababababa!**_

Dom's attention was wrenched back into reality when he heard the sounds of someone falling down the stairs. He didn't even have to go out and check as Rom entered the kitchen in a daze. She swayed on her feet as she made her way to her sister, muttering while still half asleep. She would've fallen right then and there had her sibling been fast enough to catch her.

"Where… am I? Hungry…"

"Rom wake up, you're too heavy!"

"Ah… Hello Ram… Hello Mister Dummy…."

With a snort, the boy immediately corrected her, "I'm a wizard now and I'm not even in my thirties yet. Now I can go back to being Harry Pott— GUK!"

The twins turned their heads in synch with Dom's fall. A half full water bottle came in contact with his cheek, knocking him into the ground. Ram and Rom then turned their attention at the person who had just entered the kitchen. Dia had just returned from her morning walk, only to find her best friend on full retard. To say that she was annoyed would be an understatement yet she kept her fury in check so as not to startle the children.

"Good morning everyone, lovely day isn't it?" she greeted with a smile on her face, casually stepping on her friend's arms and legs.

"Let go, let go, let go, let go! OH SHIT, THAT HURTS! YOU'RE GOING OVERBOARD, YOU BITCH!" cursed Dom as he struggled to free his fingers under his friend's running shoes.

Dia only grinded her heel in response before taking her foot off the boy's fingers leaving him whimpering at the side. There was no way the twins could be startled by something like that, right?

The two girls had varying reactions. Rom being fully awake by the entire thing looked at her sister with a questioning look while Ram merely kept her attention on her food. The blue pajama clad Candidate couldn't tell what was going on anymore. First she fell down the stairs, then she found Dom declaring that he was wizard, and now she had just witnessed what could've been the most extreme passive-aggressive scenario in her entire life.

She kept looking at her sister for answers yet was met with silence for the whole ordeal. It was strange to see everyone act this way in just a few days since she started living in this world with her sister. She couldn't make heads or tails about what was going on yet she knew that nothing good would come by questioning it.

"So! You two are coming, right? Later?" asked Dia as she took her portion of breakfast and began munching on it.

"Um… ?" Rom asked back, tilting her head in confusion.

A groan could be heard from under the table in response, "Dia's been barking about it the entire week… No way you could not know—GAH!"

"I'm starting school from today onwards! From now on, I'm a third year and I'm sure that there's a lot of people that I'll get to meet," the brunette stomped on the spot where Dom's hand had been a second ago, "People other than this person."

"Oh… Ram, can we go?" asked the blue clad Candidate as she turned to her sister.

The pink clad Candidate had a glassy look in her eyes before blinking twice once her sibling's attention was on her, "Huh? See what? Ohhhh, the school thing? Sure! When do we leave?"

"As soon as I get changed," replied Dia with a smile, she stood up from her seat and made her way to the kitchen's entrance, "You two get ready too! Adrian, pick yourself up, you look pathetic."

Dom watched her leave before uttering a whispered curse. Without looking at her, he then asked Ram, "Tell me, what should I practice on for now?"

"You're still on that? W-Well… How about a hair?" she suggested as she tapped her chin.

She heard Rom yelp beside her, causing her to look to her right and to be shocked five strands of her sister's hair within the boy's fingers. Looking back and forth between her teary eyed sibling and the dumbfounded male protagonist, she then gritted her teeth as she summoned her staff.

"I knew this was a bad idea."

"**ICE COFFIN!"**

* * *

It's already been a week since the twins had first arrived into the Real World. Under the careful surveillance of the two friends, they had mostly lived peacefully without encountering any sort of problems. The past few days were rather boring for the two CPU Candidates, making it difficult to keep them entertained. Dia would either take them to the bakery so that she could keep an eye on them, and when he had returned Dom took them shopping and gave them the traditional tour of Shinjuku and Akiba.

It's already been three months since the two friends had gotten involved with the Goddesses, time sure flew fast.

Despite the smooth lifestyle the twins were having now, their new friends were having a few trouble of their own. One was that there was a disturbance with the Page's powers, according to Histoire's explanation it would take double the usual charge time for it to be capable of sending the twins back into Gamindustri. The reason for that was that Gamindustri was currently in an unstable state, the shifting of Shares between its inhabitants have been affecting not only the power of the Goddesses but also the capability of Histoire to connect one dimension to the other. She had even gone as far as contacting her other self across the dimensions for assistance.

The reason of this disturbance was left unknown, giving Dom a headache and Dia something to worry about when she was told the news. However they were rest assured that everything would be back to normal by the time the twins head back.

The next thing that they needed to solve was the Share Deprivation the twins were suffering from. For now, only Ram knew of what was happening with her and her sister for she forbid both Dia and Dom from telling Rom of her health. The two friends had no idea how long they would be able to last before they could be sent back to their own world. At the worst case scenario, Dom warned Ram that either her or her sister would feel the same experience as Nepgear had. The Candidate took it unto herself to keep her sister from using their powers and her likewise.

The past events had been two days ago and not once did the Candidates show signs of Share Deprivation.

Rom's thoughts ran wild as she set her eyes upon the building just up ahead. There were large groups of girls all wearing maroon blazers and matching skirts all headed to the building, chatting with each other or laughing together as they exchanged gossips they've gathered over the course of their break. Friends greeted friends while the others stared and savored the feeling of youth.

This was the first time Rom had ever been to such a place.

"Shiemi All Girls Academy," Dia proudly presented while puffing out her chest, "The best place on Earth next to McDonalds!"

"And home to stuck up prim maddo— GRAGH!" Dom rubbed the back of his head as he got hit by a stray pebble.

"You again? Didn't we tell you to get lost last time?!"

"Hey Dia, put a leash on the guy if you're bringing him in! We don't want anything to happen like last time."

"Get lost Dom!"

Ram stared at the passing girls with surprise before noting, "He's famous?"

"Everyone hates his guts," the brunette casually explained, "It's not really fame but infamy. Though given his personality it shouldn't be much of a surprise."

"Did he do something bad?" asked the pink clad Candidate.

You don't want to know… Damn those noodles," sighed Dia as she regretted remembering a certain memory. She turned to her best friend and said, "It doesn't mean that three years have passed that everyone forgot what you did. Behave yourself and keep an eye on these two for me, got that?"

"Whatever. Why don't we go inside? We won't leave the damn place so stop fussing," Dom went on ahead while Rom closely followed him.

Dia shook her head twice as she gave the boy a defeated look. It would probably better to let him be for there was no use arguing with him, the brunette was about to enter the school when she realized that Ram was still staring at the building. Wordlessly, she grabbed the girl by the hand and pulled her in.

"If you've got time standing around like that, why not move your feet and head in, hm?"

"I was just surprised! Wait, where'd Rom go?"

"She went in with Dom. She's probably wondering the same thing now. Don't worry, they'll probably be wandering somewhere nearby."

Ram blinked twice before looking away with a frown. Walking ahead of the human girl, she went ahead to go look for her sister. Dia knew she couldn't leave the Candidate all alone so she hastily followed her.

"You're going to get lost this way. Hold on!"

"Geez, stop butting in! I can do this myself."

Ram couldn't help but be impressed on how spacious the whole place was, she also felt that finding Rom then would be a whole lot more difficult. She walked into random directions with the purpose of finding her sister. She kept looking and looking till she had long since lost her way. She couldn't even tell where the entrance was anymore. Looking behind her, the brunette merely followed her without saying a word, only speaking to greet her fellow schoolmates.

The Candidate felt annoyed, just where could her sister be?

"So… Found her yet?" asked the brunette as she leaned to look at the Candidate's face.

"Aren't you going to class yet?" shot back the little girl.

"I have an hour left before the bell. Besides, I don't have much to do anyway so I'll just kill my time with you," replied Dia as she stretched her arms, "It's really been a while since I've walked in this place. It's kind of refreshing compared to being stuck in the house or bakery."

Ram kept her head forward as she said, "So what?"

"Well… You just seemed really quiet. It's kind of weird," admitted the brunette with a nervous chuckle.

"Hmph, I just don't feel like talking!" the Candidate huffed and crossed her arms, "besides, I need to find Rom. It's your fault that I lost her! Now help me out or else!"

_Just how did it become my fault? Ah, what the—_ the female protagonist reached out with her hand and grabbed the little girl by her shoulder.

Of course Ram was anything but happy at getting pulled back, "What's the big idea—?!"

"Are getting enough sleep?"

"W-W-What?! Y-You're face is too close! What the hell are you talking about?!"

"Those bags under your eyes…. Is something wrong?"

The Candidate ceased flailing her hands at Dia's question. She felt a distant memory come crashing into her mind. Her body went stiff with shock a she recalled what happened the previous night. With her lips trembling, she gritted her teeth as words left her, "I don't want to talk about it…"

"Look if there's anything wrong, you can always tell me about it," said the human girl in a worried tone.

"I told you, it's none of your business so leave me alone!" snapped Ram as she shook.

The brunette took moved away a step at the girl's outburst. Maybe she just said the wrong thing. Letting out a brief sigh, she steeled herself as she went on, "Okay… But… At least tell me what happened…."

"I…" the Candidate couldn't bear looking at Dia's face as she said it, "I… I wet my bed…"

….

This was just ridiculous…

"Come again?"

"It was an accident," explained Ram in a guilty tone as she shuffled her feet, "I was having a scary dream and I accidentally did that. I was up all night trying to dry it off because I was… scared that you'll get mad. Especially when you kicked Dummy's butt which was cool and all, but that was scary you know?"

The human girl couldn't help but backtrack in her memories to the events in the morning. Now that she thought about it, the Candidate merely focused on the food while she was in her passive-aggressive mode back then. Maybe the girl had been paying attention but was too preoccupied with her meal to express what she felt.

With a relieved smile, the female protagonist couldn't help but feel as if a great weight was lifted off her shoulders. It seemed like she was worrying over nothing.

"Heh, don't worry! I mean, you're still a kid so I understand. There's nothing wrong with it so why don't we just forget about the whole thing and fix it when we get home, right?"

"Don't you laugh! I said don't laugh, you meanie!"

"I'm not laughing, I swear! I never planned to!"

"Liar, liar pants on fire!"

"So this is where you went…."

The quarreling girls turned their attention to Dom whom was approaching them. Scratching his head, he then took the girls' silence as a gesture to continue, "I've been looking everywhere for you two. And D, your teacher's been yelling at my ear for the past fifteen minutes asking me where the fuck you went. Old bat told me to get you back into your class. Uh, where's the blue kid?"

Confused, Dia answered back as she pointed her finger, "Didn't she go with you?"

"I thought she was with you two," shot back the boy in disbelief.

"We thought she was with you!" repeated the girls before Ram took action and ran off. Dia caught on and turned her attention to the Candidate, "Hey wait!"

Ram dashed into a random direction as she used her power to search for her sister. She kept using her magic yet not a single student she passed by noticed her the faint glow which surrounded her. She ran through empty halls without pause, turning her head from left to right to find a familiar gray dress similar to hers. She released her stored power and let it spread throughout the area in hopes of picking up Rom's energy signature.

Her effort, however, was in vain as she received nothing.

She knew that getting separated from Rom was a bad idea, just how could she let her guard down. If somehow Rom realized that her body was on the verge of disappearing at any given moment, then who knows how frightened she could be. Ram couldn't bear the thought of her sister's terrified face. Then came another disturbing thought which she tried quashing out with all her might. There was the chance of her sister disappearing without leaving a trace.

That was why she had to find her. That was why it was stupid for both of them to be separated. Because if they weren't there for each other then… she may not be able to take it.

The Candidate felt her knees grow weak and pained. A wave of dizziness spread throughout her body as her steps began to falter. She looked at her hands and noticed that she was able to see _through_ them, causing fear to bite down on her heart. Not that she thought about it, just how much power did she expel when she was searching for Rom?

"Oh no…" her vision began to darken. Collapsing on the ground, she breathed heavily as she fought to stay conscious. Just why did her body feel so heavy all of a sudden? This wasn't normal, it couldn't be. She still had to find Rom. She can't pass out now.

"Ram! Ram! Ram wake up! Hey!"

"Shit, bring her to the infirmary! I'm going to do what I can! Tell me where to go!"

"It's over here! Hey stay with us! Ram!"

* * *

An unfamiliar white ceiling. She raised her hand before her to reach out on the empty air. A stinging sensation hurt her head as she tried to sit up. Seeing that it took too much effort, she settled for lying on her bed. The white sheets which covered her were pleasant to her skin, keeping her snug and warm. She turned her head from left to right, curtains with the color of snow surrounded as they blocked the sunlight from hitting her.

Her body felt normal. There were no signs of the pain she had felt earlier. It seemed like she had passed out since then, how long she was unconscious was still unknown to her. It felt like hours had gone by while she was out. She couldn't hear anything, it was like the world had lost the ability to make a sound…. Or maybe it was just too quiet. She could still feel her own heartbeat so she knew she was still alive. She had slept enough to last the day her body felt like it was made out of rocks.

Ram didn't know what to do.

She had recklessly used her powers despite the fact that doing so will shorten her life span. She had plunged herself into greater danger than actually doing something to find her sister. Gripping her blanket, she fought her urge to burst into tears. If Blanc were to be at her side then she would only be yelled at while Mina would only worry out of her mind. If only she had been calmer, if only she had been stopped, if only she had been stronger then this wouldn't have happened.

"I hate this place…" she muttered.

Her attention turned to the sounds of footsteps behind the white curtains which were then moved aside to reveal a familiar brown haired girl.

"You're awake. That's good," Dia smiled at the sight of her friend conscious and well, "You really had us worried there."

"Rom, did you find her?" were the words which immediately left the Candidate's lips.

The brunette didn't even hesitate when she replied, "She's fine. Dom found her wandering around the courtyard with some of my classmates. He's with her now so it should be fine."

"Ah…" the Candidate lowered her head with a look of relief. She then tensed and looked back at the human girl, "Did… did you tell her? About what happened?"

"Not yet. We didn't want to cause her worry," answered Dia as she pulled the chair beside the CPU's bedside and sat on it, "How are you feeling?"

"Horrible…" grumbled Ram as she fell back into her pillows and facing the other way, "I… I thought I was going to die… Why didn't I disappear?"

She heard the brunette release a sigh behind her followed by an explanation, "You Dom to thank for this. Apparently, he had this crazy idea which I didn't exactly believe that would work. He had your sister expel enough shares into the surrounding area for your body to pick up. It worked and I didn't waste any time bringing you into here in the infirmary. It's been five hours since then and I'm on my lunch break."

"This is your fault," said the Candidate, her words laced with thinly disguised spite. She couldn't see what kind of face Dia was making behind her yet she didn't care. She just continued on with, "If only we stayed in the house like we were supposed to then this wouldn't have happened. You should've stopped me when I ran off, but you only lagged behind. You said that we were in good hands, we trusted you… You didn't even do anything. I hate you."

Ram felt her shoulders tremble with emotion. Was this really okay? Pushing the blame on someone else? She knew what she had said was bad so the fear of getting yelled at began to creep up on her. If Rom were with her, then she should be able to stand up to herself. If she had someone to lean on, then…

"I see…"

Her eyes grew wide at the tone of Dia's voice.

"I'm sorry. You're right; I should've just let Dom look after you at the house. I shouldn't have invited you two to come along. I, of all people, should be aware of your conditions. I guess it was just selfish of me getting you two to see the place. But tell me something… Did you have fun?"

Ram neither said yes or no, she merely laid motionless on her bed.

"Well. Be sure to get some rest. I'll be heading out now."

There were noises of clothes ruffling before the sound of the curtains parting reached the Candidate's ears. She held her breath as she waited for the door to open and for the footsteps to disappear. Her visitor didn't uttered a word single word as she went out, leaving the little girl all by herself.

She just did something horrible.

…..

….

…

Dia had her back against the infirmary door, keeping her head low as thoughts ran through her mind. She looked at her hands and clenched them into fists. There was this ticklish feeling running down her spine when she was in the presence of the Candidate. She didn't understand why yet the sight of the little girl's face and reaction kept her mind off this foreign sensation. A heavy feeling weighed her down, causing her to slouch a bit once she began to walk away.

Things really went bad. She hadn't expected something like this to happen on her first day back in school. She didn't intend it to be this way at all, if only she had been more careful. She didn't even bother correcting what the Candidate said. Most of the words she said were true after all and Dia could only sit there and listen. She wasn't Dom; she couldn't bluntly speak back to a child. Ram wasn't going to mature anytime soon so her childish mindset could be easily excused.

Still, to the female protagonist, it hurt hearing that she was hated.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and walked faster. She had to get Dom and make him take Rom back into the infirmary. Ram would need the company of her sister while she recovers. It would be better that way until the day ended.

* * *

"Jesus Christ, how times will I tell you not you draw on the library books? These aren't mine, you know?"

"No pictures… I'll make them."

"I take my eyes off of you one second and— YOU DREW ON MY FACE?!"

"Sorry!"

"Come here so I can strangle you!"

Dom got up from the grass and sprinted after the retreating Candidate, only to activate a magic trap which launched a snowball into his face. The resulting shock and impact knocked him back into the ground, barely conscious. A groan escaped him as he rubbed his sore cheek. For a shy and quiet girl, Rom was pretty much adept in luring him into tight spots.

He sent the girl a glare before collapsing in defeat. He had been entertaining her for the last five hours just to keep her from asking about her sister. Now that he thought about it, had he not remembered that Goddesses basically can transfer Shares unto one another, then the situation could've been much worse. He released a heavy sigh as he did all he could to forget what just happened. He didn't know what Rom would do had her sister disappeared without a trace.

For a guy with sucky luck, this day was sure bipolar towards him.

He still hasn't received the order to break in Ram's condition to Rom so he kept his lips sealed tight until further notice. All he had to do until then was to keep the girl preoccupied and play dumb whenever she asked about her sister. Lying he was good at, but lying for this reason gnawed on what conscience he had in his mind.

Just what was Dia thinking not telling the girl? Wouldn't it have been better for her to know and run off to her dying sibling? That way, they could easily perform the Share Transfer than risking the blue clad Candidate exhausting more power than she should. He really didn't get why his best friend didn't let him tell her. Even better was that he didn't understand why he was easily submitting to her like some goon.

Dom placed his forearm on his eyes to block out the sun's rays. He just had to stall for a little longer and he'll be free from this kid's clutches.

He noticed a shadow stand above him and slowly moved his arm away. He saw Rom's blue eyes staring back at his brow ones which travelled down to what she was holding in her hands. It was a wet towel. Sitting up, he took the towel and rubbed the ink off his face.

"Unlike your sister, you're much tolerable. Please continue on being that way."

"Strange…"

"Who is?"

"You?"

Scratching the back of his head, the boy felt at loss on how to respond.

"You're different," the Candidate averted her eyes as she continued, "Never spoke to… someone… like you before…"

"It's to be expected seeing the kind of series you're from. The only people you've met up with so far have all been females, yes?" Dom smirked while waving his finger, "I guess you haven't been talking to boys that much back at home, aye?"

Rom felt her face grow hot as she began to stutter, "W-W-We were t-to-told to stay a-away… B-B-Blanc won't l-let us... M-Mina was against… it too…"

"Stop that or else I'll be pulling your hair out again," growled the boy, quickly forcing the little girl's red face into blue with fear. A chuckle escaped his lips at the sight of the Candidate's uncomfortable face, "Guess having the real thing in front of me is a whole lot different than seeing the person behind a screen. I'm quite impressed on how fast you managed to adapt to this world. I mean, the other Goddesses took a while to be comfortable enough to GET LOST IN A FREAKING HUGE CAMPUS! I MEAN, WHAT THE HELL?!"

"Eep!" the Candidate flinched at the sudden outburst and timidly moved away from her friend.

"Seriously, what the hell was going through your head?! Are you even using it?! You almost gave me a freaking heart attack with the kind of stunts you Goddesses keep on pulling! Do you have any idea how worried we were when we found out you were gone?! Didn't you consider that something bad might've happened to you when you were lost?! This isn't Gamindustri where you could just whip out your damned wand and do magic! Doesn't your elder sister teach you proper manners?! If anything were to happen then Ram would've thrown a fit! Histoire would've contacted Blanc and that girl would be hunting for my head! My freaking life's on the line here! Have some consideration, dammit! Don't you dare do that again, do you understand, young lady?! Apologize! Apologize now!"

"I-I-I'm sorry," Rom covered her head with her hands and shut her eyes tightly. She braced herself for another wave of words yet was surprised when nothing came. Opening her eyes inch by inch, she found the boy lying with his face on the ground, a white ball planted firmly on his head. She noticed a group of girls from the baseball club pumping their fists in the air in celebration before walking away.

Groaning in pain, Dom rubbed the back of his head while saying, "Damn that hurt…"

"Are you okay?" asked the little girl with a look of concern.

"I've lived through worse. And I'm still mad at you. I'm not done yet," the boy readjusted his sitting position while the girl before him put up her guard. Giving her an annoyed look, he then said, "So what's your problem, huh? It's not like you to wander off without your sister like that. The only few instances where you leave her side are whether you have a very good reason for it or that your luck somehow turned against you. I'm guessing that it's the former."

"Can't tell…"

"You're irritating me. Since you're always in my party whenever I go dungeon crawling, I'll be nice to you for a little while but so help me, I'm going to start yelling again. Now, the hell is wrong with you?"

"Not telling…"

"Stubborn are we?"

"…"

"This wouldn't have happened had you not wandered off you know?"

"I… Like it here…"

Dom blinked twice at that. He felt genuinely surprised enough to say, "Excuse me?"

"I like it here," repeated Rom with a much firmer voice, "I wanted… to let Ram see something…"

"And that is?"

"Not telling…"

"Oh come on! At least save me the trouble of guessing!" the boy crossed his arms as he fumed.

The Candidate kept her eyes on her hands as she said, "It's a surprise…"

"So you like this place and you want your sister to see something that you can't tell anyone yet… okay, I'm pegging you as unreasonable."

"?"

"It means that I can't talk you out of this one. But seriously, next time you do a stunt like this in the future, make sure you tell us in advance so we can be ready. This is why I hate kids, you brats always think that you can do shit without thinking of the consequences..."

Rom didn't have anything say after that statement. She merely turned her head into the blue sky above her as she felt a pleasant breeze pass overhead. Her eyes widened once she saw a cloud that had the exact shape of a dogoo. She kept staring at it until the cloud broke formation and disappeared. She focused her attention on another cloud with a familiar shape. This one had the shape of Blanc's hat while the other beside it was similar to Nepgear's hair clip.

She turned to her side to call to her sister, only for her words to die in her throat once she realized she wasn't there. A crestfallen look was on her face as she looked back into the grass.

"I want to stay... a little bit longer…" she muttered quietly.

Still, it wasn't silent enough for Dom to miss as he sat up in attention, "Huh?"

"Can… I stay in this world… A little bit longer? I want to tell Ram what I discovered…" said the Candidate as she gazed deep into the boy's eyes.

Confused, he couldn't help but ask, "Why?"

"Why not?" countered the girl with a tilt of her head.

It was simple question yet it brought a lot of things in mind for Dom. He was told not to break in information about the Share Deprivation state the twins had. Answering this question now would result into a number of problems. He didn't know if Dia gave the green signal for it yet or if Rom was ready to know. He mentally cursed himself for asking first. This was rather tricky situation he was in and anything he was going to say was going to affect shit one way or another.

Breathing a heavy sigh, he threw out another question, "Don't you want to go home? Won't your elder sister be worried sick if you don't come back as soon as possible?"

"It… It will only be for a while. It will be quick…" mumbled Rom as she played with her skirt.

"Don't you think you're being selfish here? You can't just get the things that you want just because you wish for it. Some things aren't allowed to go your way because there's a stupid reason for it," Dom stared at her with an indifferent expression, "People who push their luck farther than what's healthy always regret doing so in the end. You can't indulge yourself with having everything you want because someday, you'll lose something important if you keep forcing things your way."

"But… I…"

"But it's your choice."

"Huh?"

"Whatever happens next, it's all up to you. You can still turn back from what you've decided on and be a good girl."

"…."

"I'm warning you… So think about it for a moment, you're smart, aren't you?"

Rom kept silent as she stood up and began to walk away.

Dom followed her with his head while asking, "Where are you going?"

"Away…"

"You'll get lost, you know?"

The girl came to a halt before turning around with a faint smile, "You'll still find me…"

"Eh?" the male protagonist glanced down on his pocket and saw the Page peeking out. It seemed like she didn't have anything to worry about so long as Dom had that. Blinking twice as he pieced the puzzle together, a smirk decorated his lips a moment later.

…..

….

…

Dia found her best friend sleeping under the shade of a tree. Rom was nowhere to be found. She couldn't help but feel furious at the boy's irresponsible nature, this had been the second time he had lost the Candidate. Now he was just asking for it.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?" she snarled as she stood beside him.

"Raising kids," replied Dom in a carefree manner, "Isn't lunch about to end? Get your ass back into class…"

"You lost her?! Didn't I tell you to keep an eye on her while I talk to Ram?"

"And look how that turned out. You should keep your nose out of the problems of siblings. It could get real brutal quick."

"Seriously, you're just hopeless! How will we find Rom now?"

"I got the Page and I am keeping an eye on her as we speak. She never left my sight in the first place."

With a bewildered look on her face, the brunette asked, "What are you planning?"

"Something that requires luck, sacrifices, and a whole lot of praying," the boy smiled as he gave his cryptic reply, standing up while brushing his pants, "The rest is up to those two."

Dia couldn't help but worry over what was going to happen.

* * *

The clock was ticking and it had been over ten minutes since Dia's visit to the infirmary. Ram had been silent ever since, not even trying to sleep as she laid in bed. It wasn't like that she didn't want to sleep her heavy feelings off but she found out that she can't. The visions were getting more and more vivid every time she tried to close her eyes. She had wrapped herself in her blanket, shaking as shivers ran down her spine.

Her white curtains swayed as the wind entered from the open window. She merely stared at the end of her bed, thinking back to the words she had let go earlier. She felt like a bad person for saying those things. Now she was all alone with no one to talk to. She didn't even have the motivation to get out of bed and search for her sister again. Her body still felt strange from the recent near-death experience. It was only then did she realize her own mortality.

She thought about it, tried to understand it and had now realized that the world she was in now was indeed completely different from where she was from. Here, there were no monsters to vent out one's frustrations on. Here, she could easily fade out of existence just by staying for too long, she could easily die without doing anything or saying goodbye. Here, she could trust no one and lean on no one but her sister. No one, but Rom would understand.

She had to take her sister and leave this gray world. She had enough, she was scared and she didn't know what to do. She had to talk to Dom and make him send her back. Ram couldn't afford risking her sister's life by staying in this world, she had to protect Rom.

"I… need… to find her…"

The sound of cloth whipping through the air filled the infirmary. Ram put on her shoes and burst through her white curtains, exiting the infirmary and into the hallway. Her footsteps echoed all around as she sprinted with all her might, careful not to use a single drop of her power. Her breath became erratic due to the fatigue of exerting her body right after she just woke up plus the mental stress from how she treated Dia earlier.

A headache seemed to be growing in her head as she went on with her search.

She came to a halt in front of a directory of the school, taking a quick glance through it before running once more. She checked the cafeteria, the rooftop, the gymnasium, the poolside, the football field, the theater and auditorium, yet she couldn't find a single sign of her sibling anywhere.

Ram didn't bother to check the classrooms since she would only attract attention to herself as well as disrupt classes. Barging in to look for her sister would only result into her getting yelled at. Besides, what would Rom be doing inside a classroom for high schoolers during class hours?

Her search eventually led her at the base of the clock tower which stood at the east wing. There were faint traces of magic in the air which she immediately identified as Rom's. Biting her lip, she wondered if her sibling had been performing magic. The Candidate stomped her foot on the ground as she realized her mistake. Rom wasn't aware of the dangers of this world unlike Ram. The blue clad candidate would continue on using her power for the littlest things, completely ignorant of the dangers just because Ram had told Dia not to tell her anything yet.

"Why does this keep happening?" she asked herself as she entered the building.

The echoes of the clock's ticking bounced off the walls from the very top. The girl's eyes eventually settled on a nearby spiral stairs which she quickly got on and climbed. Her feet clanged with the metal steps as she went up, the trace she was following was becoming clearer than before. However at the same time, she could see brief flashes of her nightmare through her mind's eye, so she did all she could to ignore it and continue on. It took five minutes but she finally managed to reach the top of the tower, the clock's face just beside her.

Old mechanical gears spun all around her, banging and ticking as seconds flew by, yet she kept her focus on the person waiting for her at the other end of the room.

Rom felt her sister's presence and immediately turned to face her. The blue clad Candidate's confused face transforming into a smile, "Ram. There you are…"

"Rom…" Ram's worried face turned into a smile, "I've been looking all over for you."

"Something wrong..?" the blue clad Candidate approached her sister and touched her forehead, "Tired..?"

Moving back while waving her hands, the pink clad Candidate stuttered with a flustered expression. Those two… She guessed that the two friends hid the fact of her collapsing from her sister. Shaking her head to compose herself, she stared into her sibling's eyes a she said, "I'm okay. But Rom, I have something to tell you."

"W-What is it?" a look of confusion spread across Rom's face at her sister's words, "Something wrong..?"

"We need to go home, Blanc and Mina are waiting."

_**DING…**_

_**DING…**_

_**DING…**_

"But… Why?"

"Huh?"

"Why..? Why leave?"

"I-I-It's just because! Come on, we gotta go to that weird guy and make him send us home."

"I don't understand… Is something wrong, Ram?"

Ram paused for a moment. She felt an uncomfortable feeling swelling within her chest. It felt heavy and disheartening, an unknown feeling she was not familiar with. She was sure that Rom would understand yet it seemed like she had assumed that her sister would understand immediately. Should she really tell her what was happening?

"I… It's nothing. We have to go now, Rom," she said as she clenched her fist, "If we don't go now, then Blanc would only be worried. Everyone will be… We can go anytime we want, you know? So what are you waiting for? Come on now."

Rom shook her head as she replied, "I can't… Not yet. Um, you see… I still want to stay for a bit… Can we stay for a little bit longer?"

The pink clad Candidate didn't even bother to respond. She had pursed her lips as thoughts ran wild in her mind. What was this about now? At a time like this… When things were already dangerous as it was… Rom really picked the worst time to act up.

_Should I say it? Should I not? _She thought while out loud she said, "Why? Why do you need to stay? Don't you want to go home?"

"I… I like it… here…"

"W-What?"

"I like it here."

"But… You can't."

"Why not..?"

"It's because you can't! Why won't you listen?!"

"Why? You're scaring me, Ram…"

"It's because we're both going to die!"

The entire room was silent as the girl's voice reverberated all throughout the place. The cogs and gears merely turned as the twins talked to each other yet their incoherent noises were the only things which were heard in the following silence. Footsteps echoed as the pink clad Candidate buried her face unto her sibling's chest.

With a trembling voice, she sobbed, "I-I'm scared! I don't know anymore! I wanna go home! But… But… But I can't leave you behind! I don't want you to disappear! Why can't you understand, you dummy?! I didn't want to scare you that's why I didn't say anything! Every day we stay in this world, we lose our powers! If we stay here for a long time then we'll die! That's why we have to go back, that's why we can't stay here, that's why you need to listen to me! Please Rom… Let's go home…. Please…."

Rom stiffened as her sister's fingers dug into her arms. She didn't quite understand it all. Her sister was shaking on her chest while crying with so much emotion. It was supposed to be the other way around with her crying into her sister's embrace. Just… what happened? A single thought rose above the conflicting sea of words within her mind: Confusion.

"I'm sorry."

Ram's eyes opened with surprise, causing her to loosen her hold on her sibling and step back. She saw how Rom looked away from her and spoke in a firm tone.

Not taking it any longer, she began to ask, "But why? Didn't you hear what I said? This world is dangerous! We have to go home and—"

"No!"

The pink clad Candidate's words died before they left her lips. Rom had never raised her voice before. She didn't fully understand why her sister was acting this way. Rom wasn't like this. She couldn't be.

"This world… Is not dangerous," muttered the blue clad Candidate, her eyes filled to the brim with tears, "It's pretty. I saw how it is… It's scary at first but it's not… really like that… I went to the field, the garden, the pool, and the roof. It's all pretty. Everyone here… they're all kind. This world isn't… as gray as we thought. That's why… You're wrong, Ram…"

"No! Wait! You're the one who's got it wrong!" yelled Ram as she stomped the ground, "No one here is kind, Rom! They tell us that we can trust them when we really can't! The people here couldn't keep promises and always break them! Didn't you see the people that attacked us when we first came here? How can _they_ be kind?"

"Not everyone is mean, Ram," countered Rom, "Mister Dom and Miss Dia—"

"**No!**"

The other twin jumped at her sister's sudden outburst. This was wrong… there's no way fighting with her sister could be right. The twin she cared for and loved the most, just what was happening to Ram? Was she really that scared? The things she was saying… There was something suspicious about them. However Rom was too busy composing herself to notice that. She had never fought with her sister like this before. This was… The first time they got into a huge argument.

Rom didn't like it at all.

"Especially that girl…" whispered the pink clad Candidate, raising her head with a glare before screaming out loud, "I hate her! I really hate her! I was right when I said she was a bad person!"

"Miss Dia saved us… Even when we were complete strangers."

"She tricked us! She's a bad person that doesn't keep her promises!"

The two were panting hard after tossing out words back and forth. Ram felt sick, she just wanted to take her sister and leave. She had never expected for Rom to be this stubborn. But then again, she herself was stubborn so she couldn't really say much. But still, why couldn't Rom understand? She had even gone as far as defaming a person who helped them just so they could leave quickly. Was saying all of those things really necessary or was it just her true feelings making themselves known.

Did she really thought that way? Then… If she did… Did that make her a horrible person?

What's done was done. She had to stand by with what she said. She felt angry and frustrated that it was hard to think. Her mind was clouded with so much emotion and confusion that she didn't know what she was saying anymore, "Fine. If you want to stay then go ahead." Ram clenched her fist as she averted her gaze, a trickle of tears sliding down from her cheeks, "You can stay here for all I care. Rom, you idiot!"

"Ram…" the blue clad Candidate felt as if rusted daggers had pierced her heart. She couldn't believe what her sister was saying…. Did she… Really mean that? No, she couldn't. "Ram… I…"

"I don't care anymore! I'm going home! Go play with your new friends, Rom! I don't need you anymore!" Ram turned around and ran down the spiral staircase, leaving her stunned sister behind.

Watching her sibling disappear down the stairs, Rom felt her knees grow weak until she finally collapsed on the floor. Her hands were trembling while she noticed drops of liquid on the ground. She felt something hot and wet falling from her eyes as her breathing increased.

She had made her decision. Even if it's for a little while, she hoped that she would make it up to her sister somehow….

* * *

_Nicolas Notes:_

_Hello dear readers, lovely day isn't it?_

_Once again, i'm stuck in a hole I dug myself into. Not to worry though, it's not as bad as the previous one so I'll be all right. Strange how I don't have much to say here so I'll make this quick. I have already mapped out the events that will happen all the way to Vert's Arc which is to say will somehow make job easier._

_I've checked, double checked, and triple checked this chapter for errors yet knowing me I've probably left behind a few glaring ones. Sorry if I'll have to rely on you guys to catch anything I missed. _

_Please enjoy this chapter and I hope I'll be seeing more from you guys in the future._

_See ya~_

_Yahoo~!_


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